Govt tells states to link prisons with courts via video

The Centre has asked all states to link prisons with courts through video conferencing for expeditious trial and to save costs of escorting undertrials to courts.
In an advisory to all states, the Ministry of Home Affairs also said prison e-system should be integrated with Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) as well as e-courts on priority basis.
"The prisons should be linked with courts through video conferencing for expeditious trial and to save costs in escorting undertrials to the courts," it said.
Combined training of prison, police, health department and judiciary on undertrial management should be conducted periodically. Separate training course on deradicalisation of prisoners should also be conducted, it said.

The home ministry suggested to the states that the existing vacancies in all ranks of prison departments be filled up expeditiously.
The advisory was issued following a national conference of heads of prisons in states and UTs on prison reforms.

The state and UT governments have been advised to consider for implementation of some suggestions which are aimed at having an effective prison administration system.
These include, the nomenclature of Prisons Department may be changed to "Prisons and Correctional Administration", which should have integrated prison, correctional and probation services, it said.
Every state should establish a welfare wing under prison department comprising welfare officers, law officers, counsellors and probation officers.

In order to ensure basic uniformity in prison rules and regulations, all states and UTs should revise their existing prison manuals by adopting the provisions of model prison manual, 2016 prepared by the home ministry and circulated to all states and UTs in May 2016, it said.