Karnal, December 27: Haryana Director General of Prisons Alok Rai arrived in Karnal on Saturday to inspect the district jail. During his visit, he reviewed the living conditions, sanitation facilities, security arrangements, and welfare schemes for the inmates. He also obtained information from officials about the vocational training, ITI courses, and skill development activities being conducted in the jail.
Speaking to the media after the inspection, Director General of Prisons Alok Rai said that large-scale changes have been made in Haryana's jails to completely curb the long-standing gangster culture and criminal activities operating from within the jails. Along with strengthening security arrangements, a reformative approach has been prioritized in the jails. Now, jails are becoming centers of reform, skill development, and reintegration into mainstream society, not dens of crime. For this purpose, a concrete plan has been implemented to provide training, counseling, and employment opportunities to the inmates.
He said that immediately after his appointment, a strategy was formulated to curb criminal activities in the jails. In the very first week, gangsters and notorious criminals were identified and transferred to different jails. The effect of this strict measure was that no incidents of demanding ransom, issuing threats, or any kind of criminal activity through mobile phones from within the jail have been reported.
He said that it was necessary to eliminate the gangster culture so that the younger generation is not influenced by criminals. He informed that for the first time, gangsters in jails have also been involved in cleaning and other reformative activities. This increased discipline among them and reduced their attraction towards crime. He claimed that no activity of any gangster has been seen on social media for the last four months.
In response to a question, Alok Rai said that about 60 percent of the inmates in jail suffer from mental stress and depression. Often, due to family, economic, or social circumstances, they commit crimes. Keeping this in mind, counselors have been appointed in every jail so that no prisoner takes suicidal steps due to depression and can become mentally strong.
He said that the Indian justice system is not limited to merely awarding punishment, but also emphasizes the reform of prisoners. The objective of the jail department is that after completing their sentences, prisoners should return to the mainstream of society and live a life of dignity. For this, a positive environment is being created in the jails.
The Haryana Jail Department has entered into an agreement with the Haryana Skill Employment Corporation. Under this, prisoners receiving vocational training in jails will be registered on the HKRN portal. This will enable them to get employment opportunities after their release. Vocational training along with ITI courses are also being started in the jails of Gurugram, Ambala, Karnal, Panipat and Faridabad.
He informed that the current capacity of Haryana jails is about 23,000 prisoners, while currently about 27,000 prisoners are incarcerated. To reduce this pressure, new constructions are being undertaken. He said that a new jail has been completed in Rewari. The construction of a state-of-the-art high-security jail in Rohtak is progressing rapidly and will be completed in the next four months.
In addition, new jails are under construction in Fatehabad and Palwal, while the construction of new jails is also proposed in Ambala and Panchkula. He said that the department's goal is to provide some kind of training to every person who comes to jail.
This will enable them to become self-reliant after their release and build a better future by returning to the mainstream of society. On this occasion, Jail Deputy Superintendent Lakhbir Brar and other officers and employees of the police department were present.