The Ministry of Home Affairs has advised jail authorities to produce short films on the lives of reformed prisoner. Image for representation only
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In a bid to promote rehabilitation of prisoners by showcasing success stories in correctional services, the Ministry of Home Affairs has advised jail authorities to produce short films on the lives of reformed prisoners. This, the ministry hopes, will inspire other inmates relate with the experience and make efforts to lead a new life.
In a communication to Chief Secretaries/Heads of Prisons, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the short films of 2-3 minute duration on the reformed prisoners could depict their feeling of regret and remorse after committing the crime. Besides sharing their positive message, the video on how their thought process changed over a period of time resulting in acquiring new skills could be a source of inspiration to other inmates.
The Union Home Ministry urged States/UTs to maximise virtual hearing of cases of prisoners as the exercise would save time and resources besides ensuring the safety of inmates. One of the components of the ‘Modernisation of Prisons’ project was procurement of video conference equipment as part of strengthening the security infrastructure of prisons. Court hearing and trial of inmates through video conference saved money of under privileged litigants and also made production of witnesses easy.
After the Supreme Court gave legal sanctity and validity to court hearings through video conferencing on April 6, 2020, one video conference equipment each was provided to all court complexes, including taluk level courts. The facility was also established linking 3,240 courts with 1,272 prisons.
Biometric verification
For daily counting of inmates, prison authorities were advised to adopt Biometric Verification System along with physical counting as it would be effective in having an error-free attendance. The system would also obviate the possibility of impersonation and other allied imprecisions in the process of prisoner counting, the MHA said adding technology had proved to be a significant tool in bringing about efficiency in the system and ensuring transparency in operations.