4 months ago
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The situation betterment committee, headed by ADGP (Law and Order) R. Hitendra, submitted its findings to Home Minister G. Parameshwara connected Wednesday, informing that the cardinal situation is connected the brink of systemic failure.
The reappraisal was ordered aft videos went viral showing inmates, including notorious criminals and a panic suspect, allegedly receiving preferential attraction wrong the prison.
The sheet besides reviewed different cardinal prisons successful the State — Mysuru, Shivamogga, Ballari, and Kalaburagi — and compared them with champion practices astatine the Tihar jailhouse successful Delhi and the Chanchalguda pPrison successful Telangana.
According to the report, Parappana Agrahara houses 4,834 inmates, but has lone 571 unit members, leaving 388 sanctioned posts vacant. This results successful a prisoner–staff ratio of 1:9, exceeding the 1:6 ratio prescribed nether the Model Prison Manual. When calculated per shift, the ratio worsens to 1:27, with 1 serviceman overseeing astir 30 inmates astatine a time.
Other cardinal prisons besides autumn abbreviated of information norms. The Mysuru situation houses 774 inmates with 133 staff, portion Ballari has 457 inmates and conscionable 93 staff.
The committee has recommended contiguous filling of vacant posts, compulsory unit rotation each 3 years with a two-year cooling-off period, and yearly modern grooming programmes.
Mobile smuggling and failed jammers
The sheet noted that mobile telephone smuggling continues unabated astatine Parappana Agrahara, mostly due to the fact that existing jammers cannot artifact 5G signals. This persists contempt a 2021 Karnataka High Court directive mandating strict power implicit mobile telephone usage successful prisons.
The committee recommended upgrading to 5G-compatible jammers, deploying portable low-intensity jammers successful unsighted spots, and placing each jammer controls strictly nether the Chief Superintendent.
Between January 2021 and November 15, 2025, 154 FIRs were registered successful Bengaluru relating to amerciable activities successful cardinal prisons. All these cases stay pending astatine the constabulary presumption level, the study noted.
The committee flagged superior infrastructure deficiencies astatine Parappana Agrahara, including the lack of a buffer zone, bound walls measuring little than 20 feet successful immoderate stretches, and watchtowers that are excessively debased for effectual monitoring.
It recommended raising bound walls to 30 feet, installing fine-mesh anti-throwing nets, adding star fencing and expanding the tallness of watchtowers.
Surveillance wrong the situation was described arsenic “critically weak.” Parappana Agrahara has lone 332 CCTV cameras, covering astir 6.6% of inmates, compared with implicit 8,600 cameras astatine Tihar jail. Most barracks are not monitored, portion toilets person nary CCTV camera sum but for constricted voice-recording devices.
The sheet recommended round-the-clock monitoring, AI-enabled cameras to observe prohibited activities, body-worn cameras for staff, and the constitution of a cardinal bid centre.
Overcrowding and administrative lapses
Delays successful operation astatine prisons successful Shivamogga, Vijayapura, and different locations person worsened overcrowding, forcing inmates into already congested barracks. The committee stressed the request to expedite each pending situation infrastructure projects.
It besides highlighted payment and administrative shortcomings, including the deficiency of vocational training, mediocre segregation of first-time offenders and habitual criminals, suboptimal deployment of pistillate staff, irregular meetings of Prison Visitor Boards and unresolved FIRs.
Other concerns flagged see unauthorised nutrient and parcel inflow, anemic interior intelligence, unnecessary aesculapian referrals and informal lawyer visits without CCTV camera coverage.
‘Misses HR management’
Sources successful the section said portion the recommendations emphasises technological upgradation and infrastructure development, they autumn abbreviated successful addressing quality assets management—considered a captious origin successful curbing irregularities and corruption wrong the prisons department.
According to elder situation officials, the lack of transparency successful unit transfers and the non-existence of a Prison Establishment Board person importantly weakened interior subject and accountability. Officials pointed retired that a dedicated Prison Establishment Board, connected the lines of the Police Establishment Board, was projected to guarantee transparent transfers done counselling and systematic deployment of personnel.
“Posting the close idiosyncratic successful the close presumption done a structured and transparent process would code galore of the problems faced by the situation section crossed the state,” a elder situation section root said.
Mr. Hitendra was unavailable for comments.
