Women in Prisons ✒ Salil Saroj e.mail id: [email protected] related to lack of female staff, inadequate and needed. Educational facilities should be provided cramped accommodation, low levels of sanitation as per abilities of prisoners. Vocational training and hygiene, insufficient services to address and skilling facilities in prison should also be physical and mental health needs, deficient upgraded as it can improve the daily lives of nutrition, negligible educational opportunities and prisoners and give them economic support after often unusable skill and vocational training. release. Living conditions of women inmates Many women who live with their children do not should be improved in terms of bedding, adequate receive appropriate educational, health and services to raise them well. These lighting, sufficient number of toilets, options of recreational clothing as per culture etc. Provisions of legal aid issues coupled with a lack of legal aid in prison, should be implemented with linkages with District limited contact with the outside world and high and State Legal Service Authority. All rights and incidence of violence by inmates and authorities entitlements should be explained to women in a further exacerbate the situation for women. Their language they can understand. The number of re-integration in society after release is thus also under trial prisoners in India is huge. Steps should a huge challenge. As more women enter the prison be taken to facilitate their early release under system, it is essential to make appropriate Section 436A of Cr.P.C. as well in cases where are changes in services, processes and infrastructure unable to pay sureties on release. Further, non- to cater to their particular needs. Prisons remain custodial measures such as community service, closed to the outside world, thus making it further housing in shelters etc. should be given preference difficult to ensure good conditions. It is important in the case of female offenders. A comprehensive to allow independent and regular inspections so after-care programme can prevent recidivism and adherence to rules is improved. Prison help in the smooth transition of women in society administrators and all staff dealing with women after release. This should include support for prisoners should mandatorily undergo gender various aspects of post-imprisonment life sensitive training, which will help them make including housing, employment, marriage, better decisions with regard to women in prison. custody of children, prevention of harassment by They must also be sensitive towards the needs of local police etc. women belonging to minority communities, disabled women and foreign nationals so as not to The number of women in prison in India is steadily discriminate against them in any manner. A growing. A number of issues plague the lives of genuine and responsive grievance redressal women in prison, many of whom are under trials. mechanism should be put in place to help address Prisons are not effectively serving their the violation of rights in prison and give inmates a reformatory purpose. There is thus an urgent need method to have a dialogue with the to understand the issues of women in prison, administration. By improving conditions within recognize their rights and ensure these rights are prison, providing better support on release and fulfilled. While there are a number of progressive most importantly keeping women out of formal rules laid down for the welfare and fair treatment prison systems as far as possible, the issue of of prisoners, particularly women, this does not female criminality in India can be better dealt always translate into practice. Women face issues with. A TO Z INDIA ● AUGUST 2021 ● PAGE 8