Under the 5T charter during last one year, the jails in the State have implemented several reforms proving beneficial for inmates and the prison administration as well.
The e-Prison data have been mostly entered in the prison portal and attempts for connectivity to police and courts are also made to facilitate search of an offender even staying outside the prison.
Prisons and Correctional Services DG Santosh Upadhyaya has been monitoring the progress of the reforms. Several security gadgets have been purchased to ensure better security. As many as 750 Walkie-Talkies have been delivered to expedite the communication among different functionaries of the jails.
Toughen glass with 16 pairs of intercom to conduct interview of prisoners with their relations in Special Jail, Bhubaneswar has been started in February.
KIOSK facility has been made functional in all Circle and District Jails. This facility not only helps in knowing the case status in different courts but also helps in conducting e-Mulakat with relatives in the Covid-19 situation. Meanwhile, the Government has allowed physical mulakat in the prisons. Several facilities have been provided to ensure safe and hygienic custody. They include hot water facilities in the Brahmapur, Choudwar, Bhawanipatna, Jaypore jails by installing solar geysers, Fogging machines to check spread of mosquito menace have been made functional in the Bhubaneswar and Choudwar jails, where washing machines, vacuum cleaner, blanket washing units are also operating.
Female convicts have each been provided with one pair of slippers in all jails and male convicts are such beneficiaries in the Choudwar jail. Sanitary napkin destroyers have been made provided in female wards in the Circle and District Jails.Weaving, tailoring, phenyl, canteen, mustard oil unit, smithy unit and dairy farming have been included to bring in reforms among the prisoners. Prisons have undertaken poultry and mushroom farming in a big way looking at the growing demand across the State.
The turnover of all the industrial units is multiplied; and hopefully, during the year 2021-22, it may exceed Rs 10 crore.A proposal for closure for 18 jails has been submitted to the Government, Attempts are being made for ISO Certification of five Circle Jails, two Special Jails and one women jail,