Image used for representative purpose only
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
A data on the number of prisoners in West Bengal jails — provided to an RTI applicant — shows a sharp rise in the number of inmates who remain behind bars even after completing their sentences and also the presence there of small children whose mothers are serving time.
The applicant, RTI activist Sabir Ahamed, had filed the application last year to find out social profile of the prisoners in the State but what he got was a four-year data listing the number of inmates, gender wise, in each correctional home (as the jail is known in West Bengal) from 2019 to 2022.
“In 2019, a total of 236 children [117 boys, 119 girls] were incarcerated. In 2020, there was a slight dip in the number to 196 [102 boys, 94 girls]. In 2021, 199 children were in jail [97 boys, 102 girls], while 2022 saw the number rise to 213 [110 boys, 103 girls]. These children are not mere statistics; they are individuals yearning for an opportunity to heal, learn, and dream,” Ashin Chakraborty of Sabar Institute, who is an associate of Mr. Ahamed, said.
“In the dim light of a prison cell, a 12-year-old boy sits on a cold concrete floor, clutching a tattered notebook. His crime? Simply being born to a mother who is serving time. Nearby, a toddler’s cries echo through the air, their wails piercing yet quickly drowned out by the harsh clang of iron bars against the window. This scene might seem like something out of a Dickensian novel, but it is not fiction. Such images can still be found in prisons across West Bengal in the 21st century,” Mr. Chakraborty’s poetic analysis read.
“We need more details on how child rights are ensured in correctional homes — what about the right to education, health, mobility, etc.,” he said. Children below the age of six can stay with mothers serving sentence. In many of the correctional homes, they are looked after by the ICDS, or Integrated Child Development Service.
The four years have seen a steady rise in the total number of prisoners, from 23,810 in January 2019 to 28,789 in January 2022; but the rise is steeper in case of Jankhalash (those who remain in prison even after completing their terms), from 277 (226 males and 51 females) in 2019 to 401 (358 males and 43 females) in 2022.
“The 45% increase in Jankhalash prisoners exposes a parallel crisis. It reflects a justice system buckling under delays, understaffing, and apathy. If adults are trapped in legal limbo, what hope do children have?” Mr. Chakraborty said.
Published – February 04, 2025 09:21 am IST
