123Pune.com

MUMBAI: Three prominent prisons of Pune, Nashik and Kolhapur in the state are packed with prisoners and lack adequate number of guards, a report prepared by a lawyers' committee says.

The committee, headed by senior counsel Shirish Gupte, visited these prisons last February upon Bombay high court's directions. The court is dealing with PILs filed by Appasaheb Patil and others on prison conditions. The report was submitted last week. Yerawada jail near Pune has a capacity of 2,523 prisoners , but held 3,615 prisoners as on February last year.

Similarly, Nashik Road central prison has a capacity to accommodate 1,977 inmates , but was dealing with 2,167 prisoners when the committee visited it.

This results in a skewed guards-prisoners ratio. For example, in Kolhapur jail, there is one guard for every 18 inmates, whereas the ideal ratio is one guard for every six prisoners.

As a result, prisoners cannot be taken to courts and hospitals , because often there are no policemen to escort them.

In Kolhapur jail, there was no MBBS doctor, as per the committee's report. " The only doctor there was a BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine), "who can't treat serious ailments even at preliminary stage," the report says.

As per the guidelines, jails should have at least three MBBS doctors, and a permanent psychiatrist.

At Nashik and Pune jails, though there is enough medical staff, the process of sanctioning permission for surgeries is very slow, said the report.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/Jails_are_overcrowded_Lawyers_...