Lok Sabha Question No. 492 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-02-06
Subject: Prison Modernisation Reforms
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: POONAM  MAHAJAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 492

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 06 TH  FEBRUARY, 2018 / MAGHA 17, 1939 (SAKA)

PRISON MODERNISATION REFORMS

492. SHRIMATI POONAM MAHAJAN:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has initiated Prison Modernisation Reforms and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the expenditure incurred on prison modernisation schemes during each of the last three years and the current year, State/ UT-wise;
- (c)  whether the Government plans to utilise technology in order to track the status of prisoners and ensure smooth functioning of the prison system and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d)  whether  the  Government  has  made  efforts  under  the  aegis  of  the  Prison Modernisation Reforms to streamline the process of alloting public prosecutors to economically disadvantaged undertrials and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI HANSRAJ GANGARAM AHIR)

(a) & (b):  Prisons being a State subject, modernisation of prisons is undertaken by respective State Governments. The Ministry of Home Affairs is supporting the  States/UTs  in  implementing  the  E-Prisons  project  that  aims  to  introduce efficiency in prison management through digitization.  An allocation of Rs. 33 crore has been approved for the current financial year.

(c):  The E-prisons project supplements the Prisoner Information Management System  (PIMS),  developed  by  National  Informatics  Centre,  which  provides  a centralised  approach  for  recording  and managing  prisoner  information and

generating  different  kinds  of  reports.  The  PIMS  records  Prisoner's  Basic Details,  Family  Details,  Biometrics  (fingerprint),  Photograph,  Medical  Details, Prisoner  Case  History,  Prisoner  Movements,  Punishment  details  etc.  The availability of these details on an electronic platform will be useful to track the status of prisoners and smooth functioning of the prison system.

(d): The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued an advisory to all States and UTs informing  them  about  the  Legal  aid  facility  available  to  under-trial  prison inmates.    Besides  this,  Model  Prison  Manual  2016,  which  has  a  dedicated chapter  on  Legal  Aid,  provides  detailed  information  about  the  legal  services available to prison inmates and also free legal services available to them.  The Manual was circulated to all States and UTs for their guidance in May 2016. The information/guidance provided to the States/UTs in the form of advisories and Model Prison Manual is intended to provide assistance to under trial prison inmates.

The National Legal Services Authority had also launched a web application on 29.6.2017 with a view to facilitating the under trial prisoners for providing them free legal services.  The objective of the above application is to make the legal services system more transparent and useful for all authorities to monitor the provision  of  legal  aid  to  prison  inmates  to  ensure  that  no  prisoner  goes unrepresented right from the first day of his production in the Court.

**********