Himachal Pradesh govt amends prison rules, ends caste-based work allotment

The Himachal Pradesh government has amended all caste-based provisions in the HP Prison Manual 2021 to ensure equality and eliminate caste-based work allocation among prisoners, an official said on Saturday.

The state government has inserted a paragraph in the manual prohibiting caste-based discrimination in prisons and correctional institutions. The newly added provision (para 5.66) ensures that no discrimination, classification, or segregation of prisoners will occur on the basis of caste, a government spokesperson said.

Further, para 5.67 mandates that there will be no discrimination of prisoners in the allotment of any duty or work in prisons on the basis of their caste, he added.

Para 5.68 invokes the provision that prisoners will not be engaged in manual scavenging, sewer system maintenance, and septic tank cleaning.

Earlier, a provision in the Jail Manual allowed the employment of paid sweepers in the absence of female prisoners for cleaning tasks. This clause, previously under paragraph 214, has now been completely deleted.

The spokesperson said that jail records will no longer mention the caste, community, or religious affiliations of inmates of prisons. The state government has introduced these reforms through the Himachal Pradesh Prison Manual Second Amendment, 2025.

Furthermore, the amended Jail Manual also provides a clear definition of habitual offenders. A person will be classified as a habitual offender if they have been convicted or sentenced to imprisonment on more than two occasions for any one or more offences committed on different occasions and not constituting parts of the same transaction within a continuous period of five years, provided the convictions have not been overturned on appeal or review.

The spokesperson said that the government remains committed to upholding dignity, equality, and justice, ensuring fair and non-discriminatory prison operations in the state.