The aims of the Central Jail are to provide safe and secure detention of the prisoners, provide facilities for their correction and reform and provide them with all facilities in accordance with maintaining human dignity. The prisoners are provided with food, clothing and shelter and facilities for vocational training, educational activities and spiritual upliftment to help them reform and fit into society once they have completed their prison terms.
The Central Jail is at the apex of the prison and institutional reform system below which are the district jails, special sub jails, sub jails, women’s prison and state institutes of correctional administration.
Admission of prisoners is governed by strict rules stating that no prisoners can be admitted without a signed warrant, the warrants shall be separate for each prisoner even if they have been arrested jointly for the same crime, the person produced has to be the person mentioned in the warrant, the warrant must be complete in all respects, personal items with the prisoner shall be duly acknowledged, prisoners on admission shall be searched for banned substances, female prisoners shall be examined by female staff and all prisoners will be medically examined on admission.
The Central Jail admits prisoners of different categories and they shall be housed separately. Female prisoners shall be housed in separate blocks, convicted prisoners shall be separated from under trial prisoners, youths shall be separated from adult prisoners, old prisoners shall be given special attention, detenues shall be housed separately, civil prisoners shall be kept separately, those with contagious diseases shall also be separated from the rest and hardcore criminals shall be detained in separate blocks.
Facilities provided to prisoners includes safe detention, wholesome and hygienic food, intervies, with family, friends and lawyers, medical care, crèche facility, free legal aid and video conferencing between the jail and court. Those prisoners who have undertaken vocational training and are engaged in such trades as carpentry, soap making, tailoring, weaving, blacksmith, etc are entitled to a fair wage for their labour.
The Central Jail has instituted a remission system aimed at reforming the prisoner and inculcating discipline. Remission of two days per month is allowed for good conduct and work. They are also entitled to special remission not exceeding 60 days a year.
Prisoners are also entitled to leave during their term at the Central Jail. They can take ordinary leave, home leave or emergency leave. Well-behaved prisoners imprisoned for one year and more and who have served one-third of their sentence are entitled to ordinary leave not exceeding 10 days. They can also take home leave after serving one year in prison. Any well-behaved prisoner is entitled to emergency leave of upto 7 days.
Director General of Prisons
Thiruvananthapuram Central Jail
Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram – 695012
Tel: +91 471 2342744
E-mail: [email protected]
