Inadequate Prison Facilities: NHRC Orders Odisha Prisons Chief to Provide ATR

Key Takeaways

The NHRC has instructed the Odisha Prisons DG to submit an ATR.
Only 23 teaching positions are sanctioned but many remain vacant.
New prison manual emphasizes education as essential for inmates.
Current educational facilities are insufficient for inmate children.
A four-week deadline has been set for the ATR submission.

Bhubaneswar, April 22 (NationPress) The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Director General of the Odisha Prisons Department to present an Action Taken Report (ATR) concerning claims about the critical shortage of educators and educational resources for inmates in Odisha prisons.

Responding to a petition submitted by rights activist Sagar Kumar Jena, the esteemed rights organization issued a directive requiring the DG (Prisons) to deliver the ATR regarding the matter within a four-week timeframe.

Through his complaint, Jena brought the commission's attention to a report featured in a prominent local Odia newspaper, which revealed the bleak condition of educational provisions accessible for prisoners and their children within prisons across the state.

“The state administration has approved only 23 teaching positions for inmates and the children of female prisoners located in 87 prisons. Alarmingly, 17 of these 23 positions have remained unfilled for numerous years. Under such circumstances, it is impossible to deliver fundamental early childhood education to the children residing with female offenders in the jails,” Jena asserted.

Jena also noted that the Odisha Home Department enacted a new prison manual after a span of 78 years on September 29, 2020.

This new manual mandates education as essential for both prisoners and their children to foster self-sufficiency post-release, thereby promoting their comprehensive development.

The manual emphasizes the necessity of providing sufficient educators, classrooms, libraries, and other resources in every correctional facility.

Referring to the aforementioned news report, Jena highlighted that as of December 30, 2024, the total authorized teachers in the state stands at 23, yet only six permanent educators are assigned to jails in Bhubaneswar, Balasore, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Naribandi Niketan (women's prison) at Sambalpur, as well as the Circle Jails at Sambalpur and Angul.

Additionally, two teachers have been assigned to Sundergarh and Rourkela jails on a temporary basis.

After reviewing Jena's complaint, the NHRC ordered: “Let a copy of the complaint be sent to the DG (Prisons), Odisha, to investigate the grievances raised by the complainant and to submit the action taken report within four weeks for the Commission's review.”