To dispel Crime propensity in prisons, stringent measures are crucial

Prisons are primarily intended for the rehabilitation of offenders. There, inmates are kept isolated for a designated period to bring them from a life of darkness to a path of light. However, these places of rehabilitation for offenders have turned into crime hubs. Such information is occasionally highlighted in various media outlets, which is concerning for the nation.

The slogan of the department of prison is "Keeping Safe, Showing the Path of Light." But allegations have arisen that there is an increasing trend towards leading criminals in prison towards the path of darkness rather than guiding them towards the path of light. It has been observed that many inmates, upon entering jail for minor offenses, are emerging as major criminals upon release. Some are even orchestrating criminal activities from within the confines of the prison. Even the emergence of a new militant organization under the name 'Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal' has reportedly originated from prisons. This has raised questions about the effectiveness of rehabilitation efforts in prisons and whether they inadvertently contribute to the transformation of minor offenders into major criminals and instigators of criminal activities. The recent incident of planning to kidnap two militants while sitting in jail has been discussed all over the country.

Issues of irregularities and corruption in various prisons across the country have been discussed for many years. Allegations have been made against prison authorities that, if bribed, they turn a blind eye to irregularities. Especially, inmates who feign illness to stay in hospitals, engage in drug abuse, have illicit relations with women, gain entry of outsiders into prisons, demand better quality food, and use mobile phones. Here, any form of irregularity is possible by simply paying money. Primarily, it is the corrupt officials and staff of the prison who are involved in these irregularities and corruption. As a result, while on one hand, the security of the prison is compromised, on the other hand, questions are raised about the rehabilitation of inmates.

The main task of the prison department is to ensure the safe custody of a prisoner and rehabilitate him as a good citizen and skilled worker in the society. However, many who enter prison for minor offenses often emerge as major criminals. It has been observed that there is no system in place in prisons to segregate offenders based on the severity of their crimes. As a result, minor offenders often come into contact with professional or major criminals, leading them to become involved in more serious crimes. In this regard, experts advise on segregating offenders into different cells based on the severity of their crimes. We lack such capability in our prisons. However, there is no alternative to building capacity to control crime in the future.

According to criminologists, a prisoner often suffers from mental health issues in many cases. Therefore, rehabilitation centers are necessary to improve their mental health. This is why prisons are referred to as correctional facilities. In these facilities, inmates are provided with counseling and motivation to undergo rehabilitation. However, in our country's prisons, counseling is a distant concept, and moreover, there is a shortage of adequate healthcare professionals for treatment. With approximately 68 prisons nationwide holding nearly 80,000 inmates, the number of healthcare professionals falls short.

In the current environment and conditions prevalent in the country's prisons, there is a concern that rather than rehabilitation, inmates may become more deeply involved in criminal activities. Therefore, it is necessary to recruit an adequate number of healthcare professionals and revamp prisons as genuine rehabilitation centers. Alongside, measures need to be taken to implement advanced technology, including CCTV connectivity inside and outside the prisons. Simply replacing corrupt and unethical officials will not solve the problem. There must be legal provisions tailored to their specific crimes. Otherwise, the prisoners will never find the direction of the path of light.