THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Education in prisons contribute to reformation of prisoners, Governor P Sathasivam has said.
Inaugurating the valedictory of the two-day seminar on ‘the future of correctional administration in the state’, here on Friday, the Governor said prison education should provide them fundamental academic education in addition to vocational, health, cultural and social education.
He said educational programme can be made effective by establishing a well-equipped library. A well-organised prison library can contribute to all phases of the educational programme.
It may also serve to connect the inmates with outside law-abiding society. The Governor however issued a word of caution on correctional measures in prisons. Society should not get the idea that prison life is a happy ride, he said.
“While we should keep our commitment to ensure correction of behaviour through positive methods, we cannot let our society feel that the difference between simple and rigorous imprisonment has been eliminated, since such acts would go against the principle of deterrence,” he said.
The modern theory of reformation and rehabilitation emphasises the need for training not only in custodial and security aspects, but also in the scientific methods of treatment of offenders, he said. The former Chief Justice of India underscored the need to recruit well-qualified and well-trained staff for proper prison administration.
“Functioning of a prison as a correctional house to a large extent depends on the efficiency of the personnel who manage its affairs. When unqualified personnel are appointed, the prison cannot attain its reformation objective,” he said.
The success of treatment programmes depends to a large extent on the attitude of the subordinate staff toward prisoner participation in such programmes. The guards by their close contact with the inmates have more opportunities to change their attitudes, he said.
Industries Minister A C Moideen said the Kerala Prisons and Correctional Services Management Act 2010 for governing the custody, correction, reformation, welfare and rehabilitation of prisoners and for management of prisons and correctional services in the state, is a model set by Kerala for other states.
Prisons and Correctional Services Director General R Sreelekha, former jail DGP Alexander Jacob, IG Gopakumar and DIG Pradeep spoke.