In India, prisons and their administration are state subjects under the State List and in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India.
The central government assists the states in improving security in prisons, the repair and renovation of old prisons, medical facilities, development of borstal schools, facilities to women offenders, vocational training, modernization of prison industries, training to prison personnel, and for the creation of high-security enclosures.
The honourable Supreme Court of India, in its judgements on various aspects of prison administration, has laid down three broad principles regarding imprisonment and custody. First, a person in prison does not become a non-person. Second, a person in prison is entitled to all human rights within the limitations of imprisonment. Third, there is no justification for aggravating the suffering already inherent in the process of incarceration.
Indian prisons work as correctional institutions. Their main objective is to convert the inmates into ordinary members of society by providing them with useful skills, education, and respect for the law. The prisons aim is to improve inmates’ self-esteem and strengthen their desire to improve. Some jails use music training sessions and concerts, and prison’s own radio station run by inmates, to engage, rehabilitate, and reform them. Jails have a prison industry within the walls, manned wholly by inmates.
The District Jail in Firozabad (Uttar Pradesh, India) has hundreds of inmates or prisoners. Mr Md Akram Khan is the Superintendent Of Jail since June 2016 there. He has done many reformist programs for prisoners, and inmates give him much love and honour.
Through Komal Foundation’s (Firozabad) head Mr Ashwani Rajoriya, I came to know that inmates are also involved in “environment conservation”, and I contacted Mr Khan and discussed with him about the “Climate Strike” and anti-deforestation “Red Tape Movement“. He was very happy and permitted us to organise an awareness program for the prisoners about climate change, global warming, climate strike and climate action.
On September 20th, the prisoners participated in “Climate Hug” and “Saplings To Trees” drives of the Red Tape Movement to support Global Climate Strike for a better future of India and the world. The inmates tied red tape on tree trunks, took an “Oath To Save Nature” and hugged the trees to support the Global Climate Strike.
Here are a few pictures from the event:
They will deliver the message that we are facing global warming because of human activities. We are responsible, and we must take urgent climate action for the whole life on this planet.