New Delhi: Ms. Lalitha Kumaramangalam, Chairperson, National Commission for Women (NCW) addressed the Valedictory Session of the first National Conference on “Uniformed Women in Prison Administration” here today. Ms Kumarmangalam said a lot needs to be done to improve the prison infrastructure and to make it more women-friendly. She said that 50% reservation should be made for women in recruitment in prison and correctional services.
She was appreciative of the fact that more than 90 delegates from all across the country attended the conference and actively participated in discussions to arrive at conclusions and recommendations to solve as many problems of women officers in prison administration and correctional services as possible. She was keen on extending her support in implementing the resolutions and recommendations of the conference. She hoped that such conferences will continue to be organized in future as well.
The Minister of State for Home Affairs Shri Kiren Rijiju inaugurated the Conference yesterday. Coinciding with Hindi Diwas, Shri Rijiju felicitated Shri R P Singh, ADG, CRPF and Shri M P Bhardwaj, Retd. Joint Director, Rajya Sabha Secretariat, for contributing original book in Hindi on the topic “New Technology and Police” for training of police personnel and for translation in Hindi, respectively.
During the two-day Conference a panel of distinguished speakers, comprising Smt. R Sreelekha, DG Prisons and Correctional Services, Kerala, Prof. G S Bajpai, National Law University, New Delhi and Prof. Sabiha Hussain, Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi addressed the following issues –
- Bangkok Rules and Role of Woman Prison Officers.
- Role of Woman Prison Officers in Rehabilitation of Prisoners.
- Gender Neutrality among Prison Officers – A Woman’s Perspective
- Prisoners with Special Needs (Juvenile, Transgender and Senior Citizen): Duties of Prison Officers
Syndicate discussions were held on the following themes –
- Are Woman Prison Officers getting mainstream duties?
- Difficulties in balancing family and work environment of Woman Prison Officers.
- Training needs of Woman Prison Officers and Correctional Staff.
- Is there need for change of uniform for Woman Prison Officers?
Different panels submitted a report of their discussions. One group felt that Work Satisfaction = Family Satisfaction. It advocated separate toilets and changing rooms, creches and child support facilities and appropriate accommodation in prison premises. Some flexibility of working hours was recommended for pregnant women officers and in other special cases.
The syndicate group on Training recommended a Detailed Training Needs Analysis with empirical data. It proposed detailed SOPs for handling emergency situations, like – Medical emergency, Escape, Murder, Riot, Hunger Strike, etc. Exposure is required at All-India level to learn from good practices from other states. Regular Refresher Trainings on Unarmed Combat, Stress Management, Motivation & Leadership Skills. The Staff-inmate ratio also needs to be increased as per the Mandela Rules and the UN Minimum Standard Rules for Treatment of Prisoners
The two-day Conference for women officers in the ranks of Jailors to Deputy Superintendent of Prisons in States and UTs was organised by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), Ministry of Home Affairs. Dr. M. C. Borwankar, DG, BPR&D and senior officers were present on the occasion. Shri Sudhir Yadav, DG Prisons, Tihar, Shri V K Singh, DG Prisons, Telangana and Shri R P Agrawal, DG Prisons, Meghalaya were among the dignitaries who deliberated during the two-day conference.
