Pramesh S Jain
Describing the newly inaugurated Central Command Centre as a significant reform in prison administration, Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara on Friday urged prison officials to work with a sense of responsibility and conscience to reform inmates and reintegrate them into society.
Speaking after inaugurating the Prison Central Command Centre at the headquarters of the State Prisons and Correctional Services Department,the Home Minister said the government had entrusted officials with a great responsibility and expected them to play a crucial role in transforming the mindset of prisoners.
“If there is negligence in duty,the entire system will collapse.While mistakes may escape public scrutiny, they can never escape one’s conscience,”he said, stressing the need for accountability and strict supervision by senior officers over staff performance.
Dr Parameshwara pointed out that contraband entering prisons was primarily due to staff negligence and asserted that strict vigilance could prevent such lapses.“Nothing should enter prisons unnoticed.It is the responsibility of the staff to ensure this,”he added.
The Central Command Centre has been established to enable real-time monitoring of activities across prisons in the state.
The decision followed recommendations by a high-level committee headed by ADGP (Law and Order) R Hitendra, which suggested that a centralised command system would strengthen prison administration.
The Home Minister said the initiative would bring significant improvements,including enhanced surveillance of staff activities and stricter checks on materials carried by visitors to prisons.“This is a positive step that will greatly assist efficient administration,”he said.
Emphasising the reformative role of the department,Dr Parameshwara said prisons should be viewed as correctional institutions rather than punitive ones.
“People may commit mistakes due to various circumstances.Correcting them and bringing them back into the social mainstream is our duty,”he said.
Recalling his tenure as Home Minister,he said around 2,500 prisoners had been reformed and released during his three terms.“Ensuring that inmates do not reoffend by transforming their mindset is essential,”he noted, adding that Karnataka’s prison and correctional services were performing better than many other states.
He also announced that the Chief Minister had approved recruitment in the Prisons and Correctional Services Department,noting that no major recruitment had taken place for several years.“Immediate steps will be taken to fill vacancies,”he said.
Calling for effective use of technology and community participation,Dr Parameshwara urged all officers and staff to extend full cooperation to DG (Prisons) Alok Kumar to bring meaningful changes in the department and enhance public trust.
Additional Chief Secretary (Home)Tushar Girinath, Director General of Police,Dr M A Saleem,DG (Prisons and Correctional Services),Alok Kumar,DIG Jinendra Khanagavi and SP Anshu Kumar were present at the event.
