Civil Liberties ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ with DM North as ex-officio I.G. Prisons. Even jail Superintendents at all places including the Central Jail Aguada are ex-officio Superintendents provided from the General Administration who cannot ensure efficient functioning of the Department as per the legal obligations. Prisons in Chandigarh 3.51 Conditions in Central Jail, Chandigarh are satisfactory with actual population averaging around 55% of created capacity. Central Jail, Chandigarh has always remained free of the problem of overcrowding. However, the state of undertrial prisoners is pathetic, with a large number of them languishing for long periods. The progress of trial is found to be slow in most cases. 3.52 Established as a Model Jail, this jail had, over the years evolved a liberal system of administration by balancing the custodial and treatment aspects of prison management. The infamous jail break of 2004 involving the killing of a former Chief Minister of Punjab gave a serious blow to this approach with the result that the jail is now being administered with tightened security and harsh methods by an over cautious staff. The jail break cannot be attributed to administration of liberal provisions which had made this jail a ‘Model Jail’. A detailed examination of the incident would leave no one in doubt that the escape was made possible by negligence and even connivance of a section of staff. It is unfair that a number of law-abiding prisoners of good conduct are made to suffer a strict regime after the incident. Educational activities established under the arrangements of IGNOU need to be restored and useful activities such as yoga, meditation and cultural programme re-started. Prisons in Orissa and Jharkhand 3.53 The Special Rapporteur for Orissa and Jharkhand visited the District Jail Keonjhar, Sub Jail-Deoghar Orissa, on 22 April, 2004, Sub Jail Pallahara (Orissa) on 23.4.04, District Jail Phulbani (Orissa) on 24 August, 2004, Central Jail Hazaribagh (Jharkhand) on 17.9.04, District Jail Koraput (Orissa) on 13.1.05, Special Sub Jail Bhanjnagar and Sub Jail Aska (Orissa) on 28.3.05. Most of the jails were found overcrowded and lacking in sanitation, hygiene and medical facilities. The Special Rapporteur made a special mention on the incidence of mental illness showing an alarming rise in jails. 3.54 All the above reports were considered by the Commission and forwarded to the authorities concerned with appropriate recommendations which are being monitored on continuing basis. The recommendations include: ● ● ● The NHRC team noticed alarmingly high overcrowding in most of the jails visited by the team. Health cover needs to be upgraded by providing full time doctors in all District Jails and ensuring presence of a qualified Pharmacist at each Sub-Jails. The systems of parole and pre-mature release of lifers need to be rationalized in accordance with the directions of the Supreme Court and guidelines issued by the NHRC. 20 AR-Chapter-1-19-10-6-06.p65 National Human Rights Commission Annual Report - 2004-2005 40 7/17/06, 6:29 PM