Sri Banshi Dhar Sharma, IPS

ADGP & IG of Correctional Services
West Bengal

The change of nomenclature from ‘Prison’ to ‘Correctional Home’ implies a change of philosophy. It is, as a consequence of this change, the sacred duty of all the staff of The West Bengal Correctional Services to work towards the total wellbeing of inmates in all our correctional homes at all the different stages i.e. from their admission to the correctional homes up to their release and rehabilitation. The need for proper training of the staff for achieving this is being addressed by us for some time. We have established West Bengal Institute Correctional Administration for the training of officers and Training Institute, Medinipur for that of the ground level staff.

It is our endeavour to do everything possible to impart human dignity to our inmates by helping them make positive contribution to the mainstream society even from within the four walls of the correctional home. This website is part of our crusade to sensitize the society at large about the human beings incarcerated in our correctional homes and to seek its active participation in the gigantic task of their reintegration with the mainstream on their release. And such a task cannot be achieved without the transparency in our functioning.

A person does not become a non-person by being in custody. We must not forget that the prisoners have all other rights other than right to liberty granted to the other citizens. It has to be remembered by the correctional staff and civil society partners working in the correctional homes that protection of fundamental rights, human rights and legal rights of the inmates is their due and not a favour done to them.

We also believe that the task of convicted prisoners’ reformation and rehabilitation cannot be achieved unless the society helps their families particularly the children in their education and development. This will definitely protect these vulnerable children from exploitation of all kinds and preclude the possibility of their taking to crime which happens quite often because of various socio-economic factors. The children of the convicts are required to be helped in the same way as the children of the victims of the crimes.

We seek your active support in this mission.