MADURAI: The state government told the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court that steps were being taken to set up 'child-friendly interview halls', to enable children of prisoners to meet their parents, in nine central prisons and five special prisons for women in Tamil Nadu.
The government made the statement while a bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay V Gangapurwala and Justice G Ilangovan was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition filed by one KR Raja seeking the above relief.
Pursuant to the earlier directions of the court seeking feasibility report in the matter, a report was submitted by the Home (Prison) department stating that in consultation with respective superintendents of prisons, an estimate for Rs 1.5 crore has been prepared for the above project.
A detailed estimate is under preparation by the Tamil Nadu Police Housing Corporation, Chennai, and necessary proposals for administrative and financial sanction would be received shortly, based on which sanction would be accorded by the government, the report further added.
Recording this, the judges expressed hope that the administrative sanction would be accorded in six months and the construction works would be commenced immediately after that. Raja stated in his petition that the imprisonment of parents has a severe impact on the physical and mental health of children, and it increases the chances of them developing criminal behaviour. Helping children meet their parents in prison in a child-friendly environment would not only prevent criminal behaviour in such children, but also reduce the likelihood of recidivism in the imprisoned parents, Raja added.