MANGALURU: The overcrowded Mangaluru District Prison is stepping up defenses against a persistent influx of narcotics by erecting a 12-foot-high chain-link mesh atop its existing 20-to-23-foot laterite stone perimeter wall. The security upgrade comes as prison officials reveal that nearly 60% of the current inmates are battling drug addiction, with many identified as repeat offenders.
The Rs 52-lakh project recently commenced and is expected to take about eight months to complete. The additional barrier aims to prevent marijuana and other contraband from being tossed over the wall from outside a recurring security loophole that has persisted despite heightened vigilance.
Jail Superintendent Sharanabasappa said the chain-link fencing is part of a state-wide prison security upgrade that will also cover prisons in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Belagavi, Dharwad and Ballari.
He said authorities are also considering installing golf-net mesh over the chain-link fencing at the most vulnerable stretches in Mangaluru prison to make it virtually impossible to throw even small packets of ganja tied to stones into the prison.
The urgency of the project is underscored by the prison's severe overcrowding. The facility currently houses 369 inmates against a sanctioned capacity of 210. To alleviate the strain over the past year, more than 100 inmates have been transferred to facilities in Shivamogga, Dharwad, Bengaluru, Belagavi, Madikeri, and Karwar.
Authorities have recorded at least two attempts to toss packets of ganja into the prison yard over the last year. Following an incident fourteen months ago, prison official’s deployed guards to manually patrol vulnerable stretches of the perimeter wall round the clock.
The vulnerability of the prison's boundary first drew intense scrutiny in November 2015, when two inmates were stabbed to death inside the complex. That incident led to the deployment of the Karnataka State Industrial Security Force (KSISF) and the installation of CCTV cameras. However, attempts to smuggle contraband have persisted, with police and prison officials routinely recovering ganja, sharp weapons, and mobile phones during periodic searches.