Date :01.10.2007, Venue : Basement Auditorium, State Government Circuit House, Kolkata

The Dialogue started at 11 o’clock at Basement Auditorium, State Government Circuit House, 9/1, Hungerford Street, Kolkata. Sri B.D. Sharma, IPS, Inspector General of Correctional Services in his welcome address extended a warm welcome to the delegates at the Second State Level Dialogue. He announced that it would be the endeavor of Prisons Directorate, West Bengal to make the State Level Dialogue an annual event henceforth. Sri Sharma appreciated the role of NGOs toward achievements made in the field of literacy, formal education of inmates through correspondence courses and distance learning, developmental support to prisoners’ children in the community programme, identification, care and treatment of HIV / AIDS cases in the correctional homes and culture therapy activities. Some of these programmes were inaugurated by Mr. Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Hon’ble Chief Justices of India his visit to Presidency Correctional Home on 24.09.06 and are being implemented in partnership with and under the guidance of National Legal Services Authority (NALSA). The Inspector General of Correctional Services expressed the hope that a lot more work can be done in the fields of mental health, rehabilitation of prisoners after release, care and support to the convicts of old age on their release particularly women convicts and developmental support to the prisoners’ children.

Smt. Rinchen Tempo, IAS, Secretary, Jails Department appreciated the role of the non-missionary NGOs who are working in the correctional homes with a missionary zeal and particularly in view of the fact that the work being dome by the voluntary organizations / NGOs is voluntary in the real sense of the term as the Govt. does not directly provide any funds for such work by them in side the correctional homes. She also expressed her happiness about the unique culture therapy works going on in come of the correctional homes particularly at Berhampore Central Correctional Home.

Smt. Alokananda Roy, who is at present conducting a dance workshop for the inmates of Presidency Correctional Home, shared her experiences with the audience and emphasized that the on-going dance workshop should continue even after the public performance planned shortly so that the benefit of the therapy can continue to accrue.

Shri S. Ramakrishnan, IPS (Retd.), Officer-on-Special Duty (Police Reforms) and the former Inspector General, Prisons, West Bengal appreciated the continuing work of the State Government in the field of prison reforms for some time. He also emphasized the need for proper documentation of the new experiments in the field of culture therapy and other prison reforms so that the same can countrywide debate over the benefits of such experiments apart form sensitizing the fresh entrants to Prison Services all over the country.

Shri Tushar Kanjilal, renowned social worker, stressed the need to treat the prisoners with human dignity as none is a born criminal. He also emphasized that the inculcation of human values is more important than imparting only education to the inmates. He reminded the audience that most of us in the society have double–standards and many of the prisoners are in the prisons because they are victims of circumstances as also poverty.

Shri Biswanath Chowdhury, Hon’ble MIC, Jails Department while delivering his inaugural address stressed that no change / reform is possible overnight specially because the State Govt. has its limitations regarding resources. The MIC, Jails Deptt. made a mention of considerable improvement in the accommodation and living conditions brought about

during last few years. He also underlined the need to improve the scale of diet of the prisoners and mentioned that a Committee of Expert has been formed to make recommendation in this respect. The Minister further emphasized the need for a systematic survey in respect of prisoners including their bio-data, crime history and economic, political and social background for the purpose of research and stressed the need for appropriate measures to prisoners’ rehabilitation on release as also the need to ensure proper education of the prisoners’ children back home. He reminded the audience that it was the responsibility of the outside society also to actively participate in these works.

The participating NGOs/welfare institutions were requested to give their suggestions regarding the possibility of further cooperation in the Correctional Homes. Some of the observations/recommendation/suggestions which were made in the Dialogue are given below:–––

Shri P.C. Rateria of Satyam Seva Kendra welcomed the idea of holding such meetings between the Government and the NGOs and suggested that such meetings be held once in three months. He also emphasized the need for forming a consortium of the NGOs for better coordination of different activities and for fuller participation of the NGOs. of Satyam Seva Kendra welcomed the idea of holding such meetings between the Government and the NGOs and suggested that such meetings be held once in three months. He also emphasized the need for forming a consortium of the NGOs for better coordination of different activities and for fuller participation of the NGOs.

Smt. Indrani Sinha of SANLAP stressed the need for net-working of different organizations. She proposed to help in the field of vocational training of women in the correctional homes as also repatriation of women and children from Bangladesh on completion of their sentence in the correctional homes. She also offered to provide service for counseling and vocational training to inmates as also in the field of mental health of the prisoners. Smt. Indrani Sinha also emphasized the need for documentation of works in the prisons for the purpose of research.

Smt. Meenakshi Chowdhury of Centre for Care of Torture Victims proposed assistance in the field of mental health, counseling and medicare of prisoners as also awareness programmes for police and prison personnel.

Shri Pradip Bhattacharyay of Berhampore Repertory Theatre who has been conducting production-oriented theatre workshops for prisoners at Berhampore Central Correctional Home suggested that there should be a Centre for cultural activities in all the six central correctional homes where training in folk and other arts can be provided to the inmates. The Centre should function more like academic institutions.

Shri Nirmal Kr Nandi of Ramakrishna Mission Ashram, Malda informed the audience that they are providing help to 11 convict-students at Alipore Central Correctional Home with the potential to pursue education through the courses of Rabindra Mukta Vidyalaya and Netaji Subash Open University form Class-X to Post Graduate level. He was of the view that the staff of the correctional homes including the guarding staff and the convict officers-in-charge (mates) of the wards can also help in identification of the willing and potential learners from among the inmates. They therefore, need to be trained in this respect.

Fr. N.T. Scaria of Don Bosco Prison Ministry gave an account of the various activities being undertaken by Don Bosco Prison Ministry at present. He further mentioned that although public staging of ‘Taser Desh’ by the inmates on 17th May, 2006 at Rabindra Sadan, Kolkata was a historic event but the assurance given by the Chief Minister, West Bengal regarding prompt of premature release of life convicts as soon as the minimum required term is completed by them is yet to be implemented.

He also suggested that the convicts should be allowed 30 days’ parole every year as is being done in some States in order to look after their families. He also strongly pleaded for voting rights of the prisoners. Fr. Scaria felt that the work of Welfare Officers in correctional homes has increased manifold in recent time and is likely to increase further. There is, therefore, a need for creation of more posts of Welfare Officers in the correctional homes, particularly in central correctional homes. Alternatively, selected NGOs can be entrusted with the task to help the Welfare Officers. He also felt that the pay scales of the prison officers are not very respectable in comparison with other Government officers of the same status which comes in the way of spirited performance by them. He further suggested that canteen services are needed in the correctional homes for inmates which can be run by them in order to make eatables available to them on payment during fixed hours.

Smt. Anindita Roy of the Society for Community Intervention and Research informed the audience that there are 15 HIV positive cases in Alipore Central Correctional Home and Presidency Correctional Home. She also mentioned that fear of identification and resultant social rejection comes in the way voluntary testing. Shri Subhankar Chakraborty, senior executive of Helpage India offered help to the old aged prisoners on their release as well as to the old parents of the prisoners through out the State of West Bengal through their district units. He also offered medical care to the prisoners’ old-aged parents including cataract operations for the prisoners’ family members through their mobile medicare units.

In the concluding session in the afternoon, Shri B.D. Sharma, Inspector General of Correctional Services, West Bengal once again requested the NGOs to extend cooperation in the following fields:

Rehabilitation of convicts after release – Even if two convicts are helped by each of the NGOs attending the Dialogue it will be a huge social service.

• Release of bailed out UTPs who cannot furnish sureties – Some work is already being done in some of the correctional homes by NGOs in this field but there was a need for greater number of NGOs to come forward and help such unfortunate prisoners. This will also help bring down the prison population.
• Support to old aged prisoners particularly women on release – Such support is required form the community particularly for women prisoners who are abandoned by helping hand in this respect. Help age India was, in particular, requested to help such people under their various on – going schemes.
• Repatriation of released prisoners – A number of Bangladesh nationals as also other foreign nationals have to languish in the correctional homes for delay in the process of repatriation. The NGOs can expedite the process by taking up the matter with their counterparts in the concerned countries.
• Developmental support to prisoners’ children back home in the community – Although more than 1500 such children are being covered by five NGO partners, at present more number of NGOs are required to come forward and provide developmental support to the prisoners’ children in the community as per the norms adopted by the Prisons Directorate.

Shri Biswanath Chowdhury, Hon’ble MIC, Jails Deptt. concluded the meeting expressing hope that the good work done by the NGOs will continue in future as well and appealed to them to extend all help in this respect. He also expressed the hope that similar State Level Dialogue will be organized by the Prisons Directorate at least once every year in future.

The meeting ended with a vote of thanks to all.