KOCHI: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has initiated suo motu proceedings based on a TNIE report highlighting the lack of infrastructure and manpower for prisoners to pursue education in prisons in Kerala.
The report — ‘Short-staffed Kerala jails struggle to support inmates’ education dreams’ — published on April 25, based on proceedings in the Kerala High Court, highlighted that a growing number of inmates, including those convicted of grave crimes, are choosing to turn their lives around by enrolling for regular or online educational courses, but authorities are struggling to support their efforts.
The commission observed that “the contents of the news report, if true, raise issues of violation of human rights of the prisoners who intend to pursue educational programmes/ courses.” It issued a notice to the Kerala director general of prisons calling for a detailed report on the matter within four weeks.
Opposing the petition filed by Balamurali N, of Kasaragod, who sought one month’s interim bail to enable him to seek admission in a law college in Mangaluru, the superintendent of Kannur central prison and correctional home had informed the HC that there is no monitoring system in place to ensure that the internet is used solely for educational purposes, raising concerns about potential misuse, which could even affect the security of the prison.
Granting access to online educational facilities could lead to unauthorised access of the internet for illegal communications or other illicit activities. It is difficult to effectively supervise online learning, which inmates may exploit for unauthorised purposes, thereby compromising security.
There is a need for additional staff and resources, which are currently unavailable at the prison, to ensure proper monitoring and security of online courses, the officer had stated.
The superintendent also said that many inmates, including dangerous criminals, are now trying to apply for regular courses as a devious tactic to get interim release and to facilitate their travel outside the prison.