The Odisha Government on Tuesday, 21 July convened the fourth meeting of the Prison Development Board (PDB) in Bhubaneswar, charting a comprehensive roadmap to modernise the state's correctional infrastructure. The board, chaired by Chief Secretary Anu Garg, approved proposals spanning new model prisons, expanded mental health support, de-addiction centres, and a stronger guarding workforce — the most wide-ranging prison reform push the state has undertaken in recent years.

New Model Prisons and Infrastructure Plans

The PDB deliberated on constructing new model prisons in Bhubaneswar, Jajpur, and Bhadrak districts. Beyond bricks and mortar, the board discussed improving living conditions for inmates by raising diet costs and daily wages, introducing night meals, and ensuring access to safe drinking water across all facilities. The meeting also considered expanding the network of open-air jails — a rehabilitation-focused model that allows low-risk inmates to live and work in a less restrictive environment.

Mental Health and De-Addiction Focus

A dedicated mental health institute is proposed at Choudwar Jail in Kataka district, which would mark one of the few such standalone facilities within a correctional setting in India. The board also took up the establishment of de-addiction centres inside prisons, acknowledging the significant overlap between substance dependency and incarceration. During the past year, the department had already engaged yoga instructors and mental health counsellors in prisons — a foundation the new proposals aim to build on.

Security Upgrades Already Under Way

The PDB reviewed a slate of security improvements rolled out over the preceding year. These included the installation of AI-enabled CCTV systems with video analytics across 20 jails, reinforcement of perimeter walls, deployment of modern security equipment, creation of prison intelligence units, and regular security audits. The board also called for increasing the sanctioned strength of prison guarding staff to address chronic understaffing, which correctional experts have long flagged as a systemic vulnerability.

Skilling Inmates for Life After Release

On the rehabilitation front, the state set up 96 micro-industries inside prisons over the past year, expanded vocational training programmes, and standardised and branded prison-made products. Legal aid and educational programmes for inmates were also strengthened. Notably, the Prison Development Board, constituted in 2022 under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, comprises nine secretaries along with the Director General of Prisons and the Director of Correctional Services as members.

What Comes Next

The proposals discussed at the fourth PDB meeting will now move toward implementation planning, with construction timelines for the three model prisons and the Choudwar mental health institute expected to be firmed up. Whether the state can translate these ambitions into on-ground outcomes — particularly on staffing and open-air jail expansion — will be closely watched by prison reform advocates across India.