Report Reveals Grim Conditions for Women Prisoners in India

08 Sep 2023

Recently, a committee appointed by the Supreme Court, led by Justice Amitava Roy, shed light on the harsh living conditions faced by women prisoners in India.

Key Observations

Gender Exclusion in the Justice System: The report identifies a clear gender bias in the correctional justice system, describing it as "evidently gender exclusionary."
Rising Female Prisoner Population: Between 2014 and 2019, the female prisoner population in India increased by more than 11%.
Challenges Faced by Women: Women inmates encounter more significant obstacles than men when trying to access fundamental amenities such as medical care, legal aid, paid work opportunities, and recreational activities.
Limited Contact with Children: Only prisons in Goa, Delhi, and Puducherry permit female prisoners to meet their children without barriers or glass partitions.
Sanitary Napkin Availability: In India, fewer than 40% of prisons offer sanitary napkins to female inmates.
Shared Facilities: Approximately 75% of female wards in prisons require sharing kitchens and communal facilities with male wards.
Scarce Exclusive Women’s Prisons: Only 18% of female prisoners are allocated facilities within exclusive women's prisons.
Co-Lodging: Women prisoners, including both undertrials and convicts, are housed together in the same wards and barracks.
Lack of Gender-Specific Training: Matrons lack training in conducting gender-specific searches of women inmates.
Complaints against Abuse: Women inmates can register complaints against jail staff for abuse or harassment in only 10 states and 1 union territory.
Inadequate Medical and Psychiatric Wards: Prisons lack separate medical and psychiatric wards designed for the specific needs of female inmates.
Child Delivery Facilities: Basic minimum facilities for childbirth within prisons are inadequate.
Shortage of Healthcare Professionals: There is a shortage of healthcare professionals trained to address the gender-specific healthcare requirements of female inmates.

Recommendations by the Committee

Reducing Violence among Prisoners

The Committee on Prison Reforms has proposed mandatory segregation of undertrials, convicts, and first-time offenders within correctional facilities. This segregation should apply during court appearances, hospital visits, and other relevant instances.
To enhance prisoner well-being, prison administrations should actively implement national and state health insurance schemes like the Ayushman Bharat scheme and Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme within correctional facilities.
The committee has underscored the importance of establishing a robust grievance redressal mechanism, enabling prisoners to register their complaints effectively.

Expediting Trials

Overcrowding in prisons primarily stems from the undertrial population. To alleviate this issue, the committee recommends the creation of special fast-track courts dedicated to addressing minor offenses and cases pending for five years or more.
District and sessions judges should be tasked with the responsibility of regularly monitoring the progress of cases involving accused individuals in custody for more than one year in session triable cases and more than six months in magistrate triable cases.

Utilizing Video Conferencing

To streamline legal proceedings, the committee advocates for the use of video conferencing whenever possible, especially for the production of senior citizens and sick prisoners in courts.

Preventing Suicides

In response to an increase in suicide cases by hanging, the panel recommends the construction of suicide-proof barracks using collapsible materials, aiming to prevent such tragic incidents.
Recognizing the gravity of the situation, the committee emphasizes the importance of regularly training jail staff to identify signs of depression and abnormal behavior among inmates, promoting mental health and well-being within correctional facilities.