Prison inmates in Karnataka may get a chance to live with spouses

With the incidence of homosexuality increasing in jails across Karnataka, the Department of Prisons in the State is seriously considering a proposal to allow the spouses of jail inmates to join them in the prison for about a week every three months.

According to Additional Director General of Police (Prisons) S T Ramesh, the Department was seriously chalking out a plan to allow jail inmates to spend some time with their respective spouses after High Court Judge V Gopalagowda came up with the proposal at a recent seminar on reforming prisoners.

The prison authorities are working on the idea of setting up service apartments within the jail premises to allow the partners of inmates to join them for about a week every three months. “The wives or husbands of inmates can come in and stay as partners and lead a family life”, said an official from the department of prisons.

The High Court judge’s suggestion had been taken seriously with a view to not only tackling the growing incidence of homosexuality, but also HIV/AIDS among prison inmates. Providing contraceptives to prison inmates is also not allowed since homosexuality is a punishable offence.

“Due to lack of any means to satiate one’s biological needs, prisoners tend to get violent or feel psychologically insecure. We can use the partner to help reform the inmate”, the Judge had observed. Though increasing homosexuality is an issue, the focus will be on reforming prisoners.

With a view to implementing the proposal, the prison authorities have set up a committee of experts comprising a psychiatrist, a psychologist, sexologist, human rights workers and others.

The innovative idea mooted by the prison authorities in Karnataka has been welcomed by Alternative Law Forum, which fights for rights of transgender population. “Though a prisoner, he cannot be denied fundamental rights and satiating biological needs is certainly one of them”, said Forum’s member Arvind Narain.