Tihar Jail

For other uses, see Tihar (disambiguation).
Tihar Prisons
Location Tihar Village, New Delhi, India
Status Operating
Security class Maximum
Capacity 6250
Population 10,533 [1] (as of 31 December 2012)
Opened 1957
Managed by Department of Delhi Prisons, Government of Delhi
Website tiharprisons.nic.in

Tihar Prisons, also called Tihar Jail and Tihar Ashram, is a prison complex in India and the largest complex of prisons in South Asia.[2] Run by Department of Delhi Prisons, Government of Delhi, the prison contains nine central prisons, and is one of the two prison complexes in Delhi, along with a district prison at Rohini Prison Complex.[3] It is located in Tihar village, approximately 7 km from Chanakya Puri, to the west of New Delhi, India. The surrounding area is called Hari Nagar.

The prison is styled as a correctional institution. Its main objective is to convert its inmates into ordinary members of society by providing them with useful skills, education, and respect for the law. It aims to improve the inmates' self-esteem and strengthen their desire to improve. To engage, rehabilitate, and reform its inmates, Tihar uses music therapy, which involves music training sessions and concerts.[4] The prison has its own radio station, run by inmates.[5] There is also a prison industry within the walls, manned wholly by inmates, which bears the brand Tihar.[6] As of December 2012, Tihar jail has 10,533 inmates against the sanctioned capacity of 5,200. Though the figure is down from around 12,000 in 2006, the prison remains seriously overcrowded.[1][7]

History

Originally, Tihar was a maximum security prison run by the State of Punjab. In 1966 control was transferred to the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Beginning in 1984, additional facilities were constructed, and the complex became Tihar Prison.

Under the charge of Kiran Bedi, when she was Inspector General of Prisons, she instituted a number of prison reforms at Tihar, including changing its name to Tihar Ashram. She also instituted a Vipassana meditation program for both staff and inmates; initial classes were taught by S. N. Goenka. The Prison has also produced an inmate who has passed the Indian Administrative Service civil service examinations.[8]

Many of the inmates continue their higher education through distance education. The campus placement programme was launched in 2011 for the rehabilitation of inmates about to complete their sentences. In 2014, a recruitment drive led to 66 inmates selected on the basis of their good conduct, received job offers with salaries up to ₹35,000 (US$520) per month, from as many as 31 recruiters, which included educational institutions, NGOs and private companies.[9][10]

TJ's brand

In 1961, the Jail Factory was established in Central Jail No.2, at Tihar. Over the years its activities have expanded to include Carpentry, Weaving (Handloom & Powerloom), Tailoring, Chemical, Handmade paper, Commercial art and Bakery. Later in 2009, a shoe manufacturing unit was established using the Public-Private Partnership model, and thus the brand TJ's was launched. Today, 700 inmates work in these units, and 25% of theirs is deposited in the Victim Welfare Fund, which provides compensation to the victims and their families.[11]

Notable prisoners

Escapes

In June 2015 two of the inmates were able to scale an inner wall then tunnel under the outer wall and crawl through a drain to escape the prison.[20]

Health concerns

The prison complex has no facilities for keeping paraplegic pre-trial inmates or convicts.[21]

The Integrated Counseling and Testing Centre reports that around 6% to 8% of the 11,800 Tihar inmates are HIV-positive, which is considerably higher than the HIV rate among the general population in India.[22]

Doing Time, Doing Vipassana is a 1997 documentary about the introduction of S. N. Goenka's 10-day Vipassana classes at Tihar Jail in 1993 by then Inspector General of Prisons in New Delhi, Kiran Bedi. Bedi had her guards trained in Vipassana first, and then she had Goenka give his initial class to 1,000 prisoners.[23]

References

  1. 1 2 "Department of Tihar Prisons". Government of Delhi. Retrieved 2014-05-08.
  2. ↑ Tihar prison in India: More dovecote than jail. The Economist (2012-05-05). Retrieved on 2012-05-31.
  3. ↑ "Department of Tihar Prisons". Government of Delhi. Retrieved 2014-01-08.
  4. ↑ "Now, a Tihar Idol". 10 June 2012.
  5. ↑ "Tihar gets its own radio station – TJ FM Radio". Economic Times. 30 July 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  6. ↑ Mukharji, Arunoday (4 February 2007) "Brand Tihar is serious business" ''CNN-IBN''. Ibnlive.com (2007-06-20). Retrieved on 2012-05-31.
  7. ↑ "Government takes steps to ease overcrowding in Tihar Jail". Press Information Bureau. 2006-12-05. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
  8. ↑ Relief to Tihar inmate after he makes it to IAS The Hindu, 11 February 2009
  9. ↑ "Recruitment drive in Tihar jail: Inmate offered Rs 35,000 per month". The Times of India. 6 May 2014. Retrieved 2014-05-08.
  10. ↑ Soumya Pillai (7 May 2014). "Photo story: from jail to job, Tihar inmates get employed". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 2014-05-08.
  11. ↑ "Tihar Jail Products". Tihar Jail. Retrieved 2014-05-08.
  12. ↑ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Subrata-Roy-pays-Rs-1-23-crore-for-special-facilities-in-Tihar-jail/articleshow/50070082.cms
  13. 1 2 India's Powerful Can't Escape Jail, BusinessWeek, 9 June 2011
  14. ↑ Cash-for-votes scam: Court sends Amar Singh to judicial custody till 19 September,India Today, 6 September 2011
  15. ↑ http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040123/main2.htm
  16. ↑ "Press reports about Anca Neacsu wife of Abhishek Verma".
  17. ↑ "Anca Neacsu photos from press reports".
  18. ↑ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2571447/Anca-Verma-Arms-dealers-wife-claims-beaten-Tihar-Jail.html
  19. ↑ http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/multi-crore-arms-deals-videos-of-home-ministry-alleged-kickbacks/268821
  20. ↑ http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-33307912
  21. ↑ "Tihar says no facility for paraplegic, murder accused gets bail". 12 July 2012.
  22. ↑ 340 HIV positive prisoners in Tihar. Timesofindia.indiatimes.com (2011-05-30). Retrieved on 2012-05-31.
  23. ↑ Holden, Stephen (8 July 2005). "Prisoners Finding New Hope in the Art of Spiritual Bliss". The New York Times. Retrieved 2014-01-08.

Coordinates: 28°37′03″N 77°06′02″E / 28.61750°N 77.10056°E / 28.61750; 77.10056

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