Call for reforms in Kerala prisons

With repeated incidents of contraband being seized from prisoners and multiple officials facing disciplinary action for giving inmates a free hand, experts are now calling for major reforms to ensure that prisons in Kerala become centres of true reformation

- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

On a quiet residential lane in Kochu Kadavanthra in this coastal city, officers from Kerala’s Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) raided the home of a mid-level prison officer.

What they uncovered would expose more than personal misconduct ~ it would throw a light on a growing crisis in the state’s correctional system.

Shiras Basheer, an assistant prison officer at Ernakulam district jail, was already under surveillance when officers entered his home earlier this year.

‘The allegations were grave~ links to drug traffickers, supplying narcotics to prisoners, and possessing assets far beyond his known income.

By the time the preliminary investigation ended, VACB had traced Rs 76 lakh in unexplained wealth.

The raid followed a month-long intelligence operation that had led to Basheer’s suspension from the service.