REGIONAL INSTITUTE OF CORRECTIONAL ADMINISTRATION

It was bad enough that there was never any training institute for prison officers in the State. The need for a training facility was always felt but it could not be possible for various reasons. But the introduction of the new Law - the West Bengal Correctional Services Act, 1992 – made training an imperative. When the new law was implemented with effect from April, 14th 2000, it ushered in a new philosophy which envisaged a new role for the prison officers. And this called for proper training of the officers. Another reason why such a training facility was needed is the fact that the job of correctional officers is a very specialized one requiring on the one hand the rigorous discipline of the police and on the other a very sympathetic attitude of a reformist social activist. Today’s correctional officers also need to have a wider perspective of social, governmental and non-governmental organizations in order to enlist their support for achieving the desired objectives of development, reformation and rehabilitation of the prisoners.

The need to have a training institute for officers of West Bengal Correctional Services was being felt for quite some time. Accordingly, it was decided to have such an institute in the campus of the erstwhile Warders’ Training Institute at Dum Dum. Sri. S.Ramakrishnan, a retired IPS officer with wide training experience in Police, BSF and Prisons Departments was posted on re-employment as Officer on Special Duty to accomplish the task. The Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt of India offered support to upgrade this training institute into a Regional Institute of Correctional Administration. A grant of Rs.1.55 crores was also sanctioned by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt of India after receiving the consent of the North Eastern States for training their prison officers in the proposed institute. The State Government notified the Regional Institute of Correction Administration, Dum Dum vide G.O. No.505-DCA/O-4M-30/10 Dtd. 16.07.10.

The following courses are now being regularly conducted at RICA, DumDum:

• Induction Course for Correctional Officers selected by the Public Service Commission;
• Course for Clerical Staff promoted to the rank of Sub- Jailor; Course for Sub-Jailors promoted to the rank of Deputy-Jailor;
• In Service Courses for middle level and senior level officers of the Correctional Services;
• Seminars on matters pertaining to Correctional Administration;
• Vertical Interaction courses for prison officers;
• Providing adequate facilities for Research on Correctional Management and Correctional Reforms.

 

The Institute also has enough space for outdoor activities as also a hostel for the trainee officers. The training will cover subjects like law, management, human rights issues, psychology, victimology, criminology, penology, sociology, handling emergencies including fire control management, dealing with critical situations and first-aid etc.

For more details see News Letters