Facebook Live from jail

Soon after Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa took charge as Punjab Jail Minister last month, he had a shock realisation of what he was up against: a couple of gangsters called him up from prison! Ever since suffering that embarrassment, he seems determined to check irregularities and illegalities indulged in by both prisoners and jail staff. Just in the month of May, The Tribune carried at least six reports regarding mobiles being seized in the state’s prisons. The most recent case was of a prisoner going live on Facebook from Faridkot. There was even a violent protest by prisoners in Gurdaspur over frequent raids to seize phones. It may yet be too early to conclude whether the seizures reflect a greater effort to impose discipline, or it just shows the lax administration within the high walls.

Several jail officials, including superintendents, have indeed been suspended following inquiries. But the minister needs to assess how far just cracking the whip is going to work. There was also a jailbreak in Ludhiana recently, which is a serious security lapse. The foremost defence the jail staff would present is the acute shortage of hands; and that is valid. The reasons behind that are complex, including that people are not prepared to take up a job in jails. Some are known to have quit after joining. The work conditions are not the most attractive; lack of personal growth avenues is another factor. The most daunting, of course, is the kind of people jailors have to deal with — criminals. Various ways tried by the government to overcome the challenge have failed to yield results. 

Attention thus needs to be paid to making prisons the reformatory institutes they are supposed to be. Basic human needs of prisoners should be addressed on priority, which will also keep them from enticing warders into corruption. Also, all staffing, training and motivational issues have to be looked into with a professional approach. Prisons serve to shut criminals away, but we can’t afford to shut them away from our minds. The prison bluebook needs a drastic overhaul.