...... CIVIL LIBERTIES 33 February, 2004, at Raipur, Chhattisgarh. The aim was to sensitize the police officers working at the cutting edge to learn about the core human rights issues being dealt with by them and develop knowledge and skills to promote and protect human rights of citizens in their work sphere. 4.53 A training Programme on ‘Human Rights Investigation, Interviewing Skills and Custody Management’ was also conducted by the Training Division of the NHRC between 3-5 March, 2004 for the Delhi Police officers, in the rank of ACPs, SHOs and Addl. SHOs, who are required to be in constant touch with the public in the capital city generally under the glare of constant scrutiny of the media and the civil society. The training exposure will enable these police officers to carry out their onerous responsibilities with confidence and in consonance with human rights norms, as required by the Constitution and laws of the land. G] Custodial Institutions 1) Visits to Jails 4.54 The protection of the human rights of prisoners and undertrials in jails is one of the major concerns of the Commission in view of their vulnerable status arising from deprivation of personal liberty under the law. Section 12C of the Protection of Human Rights Act 1993 spells out the responsibility of the Commission for improving living conditions in jails. The Commission has been discharging this statutory responsibility through visits to jails in the various States/UTs undertaken regularly by the Members and Special Rapporteurs. The Chairperson has also written to the Chief Justices of all High Courts suggesting measures for reducing the congestion of under-trials in the State prisons vide letter dated 1st July 2003. (Annexure 6) 4.55 Dr. Justice A.S. Anand, Chairperson visited the Yervada Central Prison, Pune on 12 June 2003. He was accompanied by Shri Chaman Lal, Special Rapporteur of the Commission and Chief Coordinator, Custodial Justice Cell (CJC). The Chairperson closely reviewed the living conditions of prisoners and commented on overcrowding (69.6%), lack of sanitation (toilet to prisoner ratio of 1:16) and poor availability of police escorts (47 % for court production and 24% for taking patients to outside hospitals). Some discrepancies in reporting of cases of death in jail to the Commission were also detected. The Chairperson complemented the Jail Department for an efficiently managed jail industry. He emphasized the need for regular visits by the Board of Visitors which are in existence in all the districts in Maharashtra. The Chairperson visited the female section, saw the crèche facilities run by SAATHI an NGO and pointed out the need for improving arrangements for vocational training of women prisoners. He also visited the Open Air Jail and addressed the inmates who complained about delay in grant of parole and harshness in deciding pre-mature release of lifers. A comprehensive report on the visit of the Chairperson was considered by the full Commission ANNUAL REPORT 2003-04