'States should not look for excuses'

INTERVIEW

The country’s first woman IPS officer, Kiran Bedi, is credited for reforms in Asia’s biggest prison, New Delhi’s Tihar Jail. Her work there as the Director-General won her the prestigious Magsaysay award. In a conversation with Shemin Joy of Deccan Herald, Bedi felt the states need not wait for the Central government to chip in to improve and reform jails. Excerpts:

From overcrowding to understaffed prisons, Indian jails are becoming an inhuman place. Do you think efforts taken in the past decade were enough?

Prisons like many other institutions of governance in our country have suffered from lack of perspective, planning, resources and right leadership. Hence, it is straddled along. Few who infused holistic resources, changed for the better. Others languished. Prison management is also seen to be linked with development parameters of the respective states. Overcrowded prisons need not be inhuman but those who lead these institutions need to value their responsibility. If they do, same inhuman environment can become reformatory or else a hell hole and deteriorate.

Has the Phase-I of Modernisation of Prisons scheme been a success?

Yes, in whichever state they used the modernisation grants given by the Centre correctly and also contributed their share. In others, it remained stagnant.

With government clearing Phase-II of the scheme, what should the administrators keep in mind?

They must keep in mind the human component – recruitment, training, resource management, medical care, and other facilities – which humanise and reform to ensure reduction in recidivism and contamination. Modernisation includes modern mindset of reform of restorative justice, to save the next victims.

Did the Centre give proper attention to the grave problems faced by jails in the past as it was basically a state subject?

Not till many years ago. But why must the states depend on the Centre? Why must they not take responsibility?  They are free to improve and develop. Dependence on the Central government is looking for excuses. There are several recommendations on prison reforms, from amending/replacing 1894 Prison Act and Prison Manuals to making bail, parole and furlough more liberalised among others.

What are your suggestions for prison reforms?

Do what we started in Tihar Prisons from 1993 onwards, without waiting for anything. A few are already doing it. Yes, ideal is to replace the outdated Prison Act of 1894. It has got no reform component. Since at that time, the purpose of colonial regime was imprisonment for punishment. But following the Tihar 3C Model, which is Collective, Corrective and Community-based, prison reforms helps make all infrastructure, old or new, human and just, both for insiders and for the society outside.