Kiran Bedi gives five reasons how Tihar inmates tunnelled their way out

Two inmates escaped from the high-security prison of Tihar Jail in Delhi on June 27. I would like to dwell on how it happened. What were the possible things which were ignored? It happened because five essential administrative practices and supervisions were weakened.

1. There should be regular inspection of barracks. After the inmates are brought out for counting, the barracks should be checked.

2. The belongings of the inmates should be physically and thoroughly checked. This reveals the tools or implements the inmates may have hidden inside.

3. There should be regular visits by officials - right from the Inspector General, Prisons, to the others. This helps in efficient administration of the prison.

4. CCTV cameras should be regularly checked. This does not mean that the usual manual inspection should in any way be relaxed.

5. Feedback boxes, called "mobile petition boxes" when I was IG, Prisons, in 1993, were introduced to enable the prisoners to voice their concerns and complaints. The prisoners wrote their views and put these into the box, which was opened by a petition officer who worked directly under my supervision. I monitored these letters closely and in necessary situations, passed on directions to my staff. A pink card in the form of acknowledgement was issued for each complaint. This helped both the prisoners as well as the prison administration solve issues and iron out deficiencies. It also helped develop mutual respect. Mobile petition boxes resulted in the eradication of corruption, drug and liquor peddling, and other evils from the prison. It also acted as an alternative system of feedback for the prison headquarters.

(As told to Kumar Shakti Shekhar.)

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