While in jail, communication with outside world gets snapped with the result that the prisoner does not know what is happening even to his near and dear ones. This causes additional trauma. Therefore a liberalized view relating to communicating with close relatives and friends is desirable. It may be pointed out that though there may be some rationale behind this, all prisoners are allowed to have one interview per week with his relations/friends. However the Superintendent is permitted to grant additional interviews on special grounds. The interviews are generally permitted in the jail in the interview room. The duration of each interview is 10 to 15 minutes. The interviews of sick prisoners are
West Bengal prisons are goverened by the West Bengal Correctional Services Act, 1992
Important Information
Ongoing Reforms
Women & Children
Video
Interviews
allowed at the hospital inside. A prisoner is normally permitted three visitors per interview. During the interview, a prisoner is allowed to receive dry food, fruits and clothes. In addition, prisoners are entitled to receive interviews from his legal advisor on working days. The authorities have also taken rather liberal view regarding letter writing by the prisoners. A prisoner is allowed to send two letters every week. Thus all efforts are made to keep them in touch with their relatives and friends.
Waiting Room / Sheds for Interviewers
There are suitable waiting rooms / waiting shed in almost every correctional homes of the State where the visitors can wait for their turn for interview. Steps have already been taken for construction of waiting room/shed even in sub-correctional homes.
Place of Interview
Generally the interview rooms are situated near the main gate of correctional home from the security point of view. In most places wire mesh partition is put up between the prisoners and the interviewers to preclude any security hazard. Steps are being taken for remodeling of the places of interview in correctional homes in order to provide a model interview room with ample space where the prisoners can have a meaningful interview without any hiordnance.
Process of Interview
An interviewer should write an application to the Superintendent of correctional home seeking interview with the inmates lodged in correctional home. The interviewers may be family members, friends or lawyer. If the inmate desires then the Superintendent or the officer -in -charge of interview process may allow such interview. The interviewers should mention the following information in his application:
- Inmate’s name with name of the father / husband
- Status of the inmate
- Date of Admission in Correctional Home (if known)
- Name of the applicant and co-interviewers
- Relation with the inmate
- Address of the interviewers
- Signature
At present every interviewers is required to produce an identity card before interview with an inmates of a correctional home. There must not be any transaction in cash or kind for seeking an interview. In various correctional homes of the State the volunteers of few of our NGO partners are helping the interviewers by providing application form or by writing the application free of cost. Any malpractice with the interview system in any correctional home should be immediately brought to the notice of the concerned Superintendent