Report on Women in Prisons Launched by the Ministry of Women and Child Development

Union Minister for Women & Child Development launched report Women in Prisons. Report throws light on condition of women in prisons & their entitlements; issues faced by them & possible methods for resolution of same.

Report on Women in Prisons
  • Report contains comprehensive list of 134 recommendations for improving lives of women under incarceration, addresses wide range of issues pertaining to pregnancy & childbirth in prison, their mental health, legal aid & reintegration in society.

Recommendations of Women in Prisons Report

  • Report covers wide range of issues that women face in prisons. It considers needs of pregnant women & those who have recently given birth, those who have miscarried, or those who have recently undergone abortion.
  • It suggests that women w⟋care-giving responsibilities must be allowed to make arrangements for their children prior to their imprisonment. If there is no family or friends to look after child (above 6 years of age) , then he must be placed in Child Care Institution.
  • It proposes amendment in Section 436A of CrPC for granting bail to those under-trial women who have spent 1⟋3rd of their max. possible sentence in detention.
  • It recommends separate accommodation for mothers in post-natal stage to maintain hygiene & protect infant from infection for at least year after childbirth.
  • It suggests special provisions for women who have recently given birth outside prison, or who have undergone abortion or miscarriage. It suggests that pregnant women must be given information & access to abortion during imprisonment.
  • It suggests that legal consultations must be conducted in confidentiality & w⟋o censorship.
  • It proposes re-integration programme for released women, covering employment, financial support, regaining of child custody, continuity of health care services etc.
  • It recommends that prison authorities should coordinate w⟋local police to ensure released prisoners are not harassed by them due to attached stigma.
  • It recommends robust grievance redressal system for women to tackle cases of sexual harassment, violence & abuse against women in jails.
  • Apart from prisoner herself, her legal adviser or family members should be allowed to make complaints regarding her stay in prison.
  • Inmates should have access to female counselors or psychologists at least on weekly basis or as frequently as needed by them.
WCD Ministry՚s Recommendations

Facts & Figures on Women in Prisons

  • As per most recent data of 2015, there are 419623 persons in jail in India, of which, 17834 (about 4.3%) are women.
  • 11916 (66.8%) are undertrial prisoners.
  • Analysis of prison statistics reveals increasing trend in number of women prisoners from 3.3% of all prisoners in 2000 to 4.3% in 2015.
  • Majority of female inmates are in age group of 30 - 50 years (50.5%) , followed by 18 - 30 years (31.3%) .
  • Of total 1401 prisons in India, only 18 are exclusive for women, housing 2985 female prisoners.
  • MWCD commissioned National Law University, Delhi to undertake comprehensive review of Prison Manuals & International Norms, b⟋w March & June 2018

Examrace Team at Sep 10, 2018