Chapter III PRISON ACCOMMODATION

Accommodation for Prisoners- The Government shall provide sufficient number of prisons and correctional institutions in the State for accommodating prisoners, which may be constructed and maintained in such manner so as to comply with the requirements of this Act.

Prison architecture and institutional pattern-

1. (1) The pattern of construction of a prison, ground space, air space, ventilation of cells, barracks, bathing places, kitchen, work-sheds, hospitals, etc., shall conform to such standards and requirements, as may be prescribed under the rules.
2. (2) The standards of security for each prison shall be such as may be prescribed under the rules. Each prison shall also have a Disaster Management Plan prepared and kept in place.
3. (3) Prisons may be designed in such a manner so as to facilitate segregation and separate lodging of various categories of prisoners and/or for attending to special needs of prisoners, such as women, transgenders, persons with disabilities, persons suffering from contagious diseases, mental illness or substance abuse, old and infirm prisoners, under-trial prisoners, convicted prisoners, high security prisoners, habitual offenders, recidivists, young offenders, civil prisoners, detenues, etc., as may be prescribed under the rules.
4. (4) The set-up of prisons and correctional institutions may include accommodation and other facilities for the prison officers and other staff as per the functional requirement.
5. (5) Where there is no provision for a stand-alone High Security Prison in the State, high-risk offenders, hardened criminals and habitual offenders shall be segregated and lodged in separate barracks or cells of the prison, which shall have provision for keeping them from mingling with other prison inmates, young offenders, first-time offenders, etc.
6. (6) Such separate accommodation as referred to in sub-section
7. (5) shall have appropriate advanced architecture, design and institutional pattern, as prescribed under the rules for keeping inmates in safe and secure custody.

Categories of Prisons and Correctional Institutions-

1. (1) The Government may establish various categories of Prisons and Correctional Institutions, such as:
   • (a) Central Prisons
   • (b) District Prisons
   • (c) Sub-Prisons
   • (d) Open Correctional Institutions
   • (e) High Security Prisons
   • (f) Women Prisons
   • (g) Institutions for Young Offenders.
2. (2) The Government may determine the number of prisons and correctional institutions of any category and the place at which these may be established.
3. (3) Each Central Prison or District Prison shall have provision for a separate Ward for High-Risk Prisoners, hardened criminals, recidivists, habitual offenders, where they may be lodged separately in cells without the scope of mingling with other inmates so as to protect other prisoners from their negative influence and radicalised thought processes.
4. (4) Appropriate and advanced security infrastructure and procedures shall be in place for High-Risk Prisoners' Wards in all Central or District Prisons.

Temporary accommodation for prisoners Temporary accommodation for prisoners- Whenever it appears to the Government that-

1. (i) the number of prisoners in a prison is greater than the number that can conveniently or safely be kept there-in and it is not convenient to transfer the excess number to any other prison; or
2. (ii) due to the outbreak of any disease or for any other reason, it is desirable to provide for temporary shelter and safe custody of prisoners, appropriate provision for temporary prisons may be made, in such manner as the Government may direct, for the shelter and safe custody of the excess number of prisoners.