MADURAI: In the wake of a series of jailbreaks, the prison department has temporarily closed a few sub-jails across the state and shifted the inmates to nearby prisons. The staff have also been redeployed in other jails.
According to sources, at least sixteen sub-jails have been closed. In the Madurai range, sub-jails at Uthamapalayam in Theni, Aruppukottai in Virudhunagar, Srivaikundam in Thoothukudi and Sankarankovil in Tenkasi have been closed. In Thoothukudi, the Srivaikuntam sub-jail has been closed and 17 inmates were shifted to the Thoothukudi district jail in Perurani.
ADGP K Shankar, the Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services, told TNIE that the sub-jails have not been completely shut down. Instead, inmates were shifted to nearby prisons as staff strength outnumbered the inmate strength in some places.
“Take, for instance, a sub-jail with two or three inmates but five to six staff members. So the Superintendents of Prisons have been asked to identify such cases in their jurisdiction, shift the inmates to nearby jails and redeploy the staff. The SPs have been directed to communicate the same to headquarters,” he said.
Shankar further said that many other sub-jails continue to function, and the changes are a temporary adjustment for administrative convenience.
Commenting on the suspension of out-gang duties across TN, the ADGP said inmates will temporarily not run petrol bunks, prison bazaars, poultry units and gardens. “In general, inmates were previously taken out for such work and monitored 24x7. In view of the current situation, we have taken some precautionary measures for the time being and will resume operations once issues are stabilised,” he said.