Inmates' children serve punishment with parents: Advocate

One of the main witnesses of the conditions prisoners are subjected to are their advocates. An advocate who worked in a city-based prison told dna that not only were the rights of prisoners violated, the children of women prisoners suffered the most.

The advocate, who did not wish to be named, claimed that prisoners' children are not exposed to the outside world. "As per rules, children who stay with their mothers inside the prison are deprived of freedom too. In one case, we found a kid who was usually very chirpy, but suddenly turned quiet and coy when asked to recognise a dog. The kid just couldn't explain what a dog looks like. As per law, children of prisoners should be taken outside the jail premises to a Balwadi or Anganwadi (government-run kindergartens). However, we saw an Anganwadi teacher attending to the children inside the prison itself."

Advocate Srikant Shivade spoke about the horrifying sanitary conditions in jails. "The water which is made available to prisoners for drinking is the same as the water used in toilets. The food that is served is hardly nutritious," said Shivade. "Rather, when an undertrial has to reach court by 11 am, he/she is given breakfast at the designated time, immediately followed by lunch since the prison authorities need to mark it on their daily schedule. No one takes an effort of packing food for prisoners so that they can have it during lunch time," Shivade added.