Dehradun, Nov 1 (IANS) National Commission for Women Member Nivedita Subramanian inspected the District Jail, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, on Sunday and stressed rehabilitation and meaningful reintegration of the inmates into society.
Subramanian checked the facilities and assessed the living conditions of women inmates, an official statement said.
She interacted with women inmates to understand their concerns, needs and challenges, with a focus on their safety, healthcare, welfare and dignified living conditions, it said.
During the visit, the NCW member also emphasised strengthening rehabilitation, skill development and opportunities for their empowerment and meaningful reintegration into society, said the statement.
On Saturday, the NCW organised an All-India Consultation Meeting in Dehradun to ensure the rights, safety, health, and dignity of women prisoners.
The meeting was attended by Director Generals of Prisons (DG Prisons) and senior prison officials from more than 30 States and Union Territories, the statement said.
The meeting was led by NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar.
The primary objective of this consultation was to develop an action plan for the effective implementation of the important recommendations submitted to the Central government, based on various consultation meetings by the Commission, regarding the rights of women prisoners, their conditions in prisons and their rehabilitation, said the statement.
Uttarakhand State Women Commission Chairperson Kusum Kandwal and NCW member Subramanian were also present at the event.
The technical sessions of the programme discussed important issues related to legal provisions, infrastructure, sanitation, health services and security for women in prisons, said the statement.
Emphasis was placed on identifying shortcomings in existing systems and ensuring facilities tailored to the specific needs of women prisoners, it said.
Particular emphasis was placed on ensuring continuity of gynaecological and reproductive health services, mental health care, regular health checkups, and treatment for women prisoners, it said.
In addition, issues such as cleanliness in prisons, menstrual hygiene, proper search procedures, and adequate deployment of trained female staff to maintain the safety and dignity of women were also discussed.
Another session discussed the challenges related to prison administration, reforms, and good practices being adopted in various states.
The participating officials shared their experiences and state initiatives. Measures to make prison management more effective and sensitive to women’s needs were also discussed, the statement said.
Priority issues and immediate reforms were identified with senior prison officials. Emphasis was laid on developing effective grievance redressal mechanisms within prisons, ensuring accountability of officials and adopting necessary security measures to prevent any kind of abuse, it said.
–IANS
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