J&K Prisons Department with its 15 functional Jails housing nearly two thousand six hundred inmates, endeavour to provide standard and consistent correctional services to the inmates in a controlled environment conducive for reformation. Our Principle in handling Prisoners is surveillance coupled with ideological remoulding of offenders & engaging them in productive activities, thereby enabling them to contribute to the society as useful units after their release.
The Prisons Department has been able to design and implement need based correctional programmes which include Basic Literacy Programmes, Adult & Continuing Education Programmes and Vocational Training Programmes. Some IGNOU run Courses, Awareness and Sensitization Programmes, Psychiatric consultations and Recreational programmes are regular feature of the J&K Prisons. The Prison manufactured products are put to sale at our retail outlet ‘Sudhar Bikri Kendra’ located near District Jail Amphalla and in Govt. exhibitions and Police Melas. Wages as fixed by the Govt. go directly to the Prisoner’s account, thereby enabling them to earn livelihood while serving the sentence. Convicted prisoners are prematurely released on Independence Day and Republic Day and also periodically released within legal framework to facilitate family contact and to support their reintegration in the society after release.
We aim to design sustainable programmes to prevent recidivism and to make inmates responsible and constructive citizens of the society. The Department has recently established a Training Institute for training the staff in Correctional Administration at Mishriwalla Jammu named as “Institute of Correctional Services” to give basic training to the new recruits as well as re-training to the staff at all levels. The present Institute is also serving for organizing National level workshops and refresher courses duly sanctioned by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Department is intending to have its first ever Open Air Prison at Mishriwalla, Jammu adjacent to the training Institute for which DPR is in the pipe line. While negotiating with the problem of shortage of staff and issues related to up-gradation and addition of the Jail infrastructure, I would strive to adopt modern technology and latest gadgetry while taking up the matter with the Government for the required support.
