Be kind to prisoners, they too have a life

Did you know that some prisons in the country are so overcrowded that prisoners are forced to sleep in shifts?

“Prisoners have waited 42 hours to sleep. Prisoners have to put up with unhygienic surroundings and they lack protection against forced sex,” said Justice RV Raveendran of the Supreme Court, speaking at the valedictory function of the two-day seminar on ‘Mental Health and Substance Abuse Problems in Prisons,’ held at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans).

Justice Raveendran said that the problems of those serving sentences in prison should be addressed by the judiciary, for these are not merely medical.
While medical aid could treat some conditions, addressing the root of the problem would take the intervention of the judiciary. There was no need for any additional infrastructure for the purpose, he said. The Supreme Court judge urged district judges and members of the Karnataka Legal Services Authority to visit prisons to monitor stressing conditions.

Reflecting on the need to keep the laws up-to-date, the judge cited an interesting example — the Indian Penal Code came into effect in 1860. The fine for food adulteration was fixed then at `1,000. In 2011, the fine charged for this offence remains the same.

Chief Justice JS Khehar of the Karnataka high court said that the state would attempt to use technology to aid speedier disposal of cases.

“Besides, there should be paramedical staff to help prisoners and detect depression,” Justice Khehar said.