Govt. decides to shift the women inmates to the Poojappura Central Prison so as to free up the space in Attakulangara for the Central Prison inmates, which is overcrowded. Prisoners, jail officials concerned about lack of facilities for women at Poojappura. Move temporary till a new Central Prison comes up, says Director General of Prisons

The government decision to shift the Women Prison and Correctional Home at Attakulangara here to the old women's block at Central Prison and Correctional Home, Poojappura, has given rise to profound concerns, particularly over the welfare of women prisoners.

The Attakulangara women's jail is one of the only three institutions for accommodating women offenders and remand/undertrial prisoners in the State and one of the 31 exclusive women jails in India. At present, the jail has around 95 inmates, around 30 of whom are serving sentences, while the rest are remand prisoners.

Problem of crowding

However, the State Cabinet recently took the decision to relocate the Attakulangara prison to the Poojappura Central Prison ostensibly to address overcrowding at the latter. A government order in this regard mentions that the number of prisoners at Attakulangara currently is less than its capacity and that it would be transformed into a temporary special sub-jail, capable of housing up to 300 inmates. However, it is pointed out that the actual capacity of the women's jail is 115. So, even if the women prisoners are shifted to Poojappura, facility for only 20-odd additional prisoners is created.

Prisoners and jail officials are concerned over the lack of facilities at Poojappura. They point out that the old women's block has only 18 cells which cannot accommodate even half the women prisoners from Attakulangara.

Question of facilities

It is pointed out that successive administrations have spent a lot of time and money in developing the Attakulangara prison as a space where the distinct needs of women prisoners can be met. Pregnant women, those with children, women who have chronic health issues, and those with mental health issues are among the prisoners. The impact of being confined in a block that has no facilities for their physical or mental well-being has the prisoners anxious. Prisoners fear their education and recreation too will suffer.

Prisoners are given vocational training and provided with work in the jail's tailoring unit, food unit, kitchen, or cultivating mushroom or vegetables. This keeps them engaged and provides them with an income, a part of which can be sent home to their families. The potential loss of income is also something many prisoners are apprehensive about.

There are worries that the shift to Poojappura will disrupt ongoing rehabilitation efforts and create logistical hardships for the women prisoners and their families.

DGP's response

Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services Balram Kumar Upadhyay told The Hindu that the Prisons department understood their concerns. The relocation was a temporary measure till a Central Prison was established between Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram. The Poojappura prison, he pointed out, was operating at 200% capacity, especially owing to the increase in NDPS and POCSO cases. The Attakulangara jail could accommodate around 300 persons. Once jails at Mavelikara and Kottarakara were ready, some women prisoners could be transferred there too.

He made it clear that the block for women prisoners at Poojappura would be given a new look before the relocation was effected. Cells with ventilation and proper washroom facilities would be ensured so that the women prisoners were comfortable. Tailoring and food units would be expanded here too so that the women could continue to earn wages.

Move to relocate women's jail in Thiruvananthapuram sparks concern