A team from the National Commission for Women (NCW), led by Chairperson Rekha Sharma, on Friday visited Byculla Women's Jail. The team found certain areas that need substantial improvement in the jail.
These include the availability of a formal in-house gynaecologist and paediatrician for the inmates and their children. They also noted that an efficient legal aid service for undertrials was lacking, an absence of crèche facility and no guidance and policy for pregnant women.
According to the NCW, an inspection of Byculla jail was carried out to assess and look into various aspects including overcrowding, availability of legal help, rehabilitation plans including skill development and training, legal awareness and legal help for women inmates and proper facilities for their children among others.
"The amenities available in Byculla Women's Jail and the sensitivity to women have shown marked improvement. A separate area was demarcated for lodging inmates who had small children and the inmates were happy with the quality of food provided. The jail had a visiting gynaecologist but no permanent one. There was also no paediatrician in the jail for small children of inmates. The main problem observed during the inspection and after interacting with inmates was that of an inefficient legal aid service. The team met undertrials who are suffering prolonged detention due to substandard legal aid. Many undertrials have been languishing in jail despite being granted bail as many have no financial means to pay for bail bonds. Furthermore, there is an absence of an institutionalised system or fast-track courts for foreign women inmates who were in prison for such offences as trafficking and drug peddling," said Sharma.
Friday's inspection is a part of the NCW's ongoing project to visit all jails in the country in order to formulate a manual for comprehensive prison reforms for women inmates.
Prison Reforms
The inspection was part of the NCW’s ongoing project to visit all jails in the country to formulate a manual for comprehensive prison reforms for women inmates.
