Tamil Nadu stops recording prisoner caste in official registers
The state prison department informed the union home ministry that it has disabled caste-entry facilities in its digital management system.
Tamil Nadu has informed the central government that the caste of inmates is no longer being documented in admission forms or regular prison registers, according to The New Indian Express.
The prison department sent this compliance report to the union home ministry on September 9. This occurred before the Supreme Court gave 23 states and union territories a final chance on November 3 to report measures taken to stop caste-based discrimination in prisons.
Prison department sources stated that the caste-entry feature has also been deactivated within the digital prison management system. Statutory rules currently prohibit the classification, segregation, allocation of work, and discrimination based on caste.
The department said manual scavenging and hazardous cleaning of septic tanks and sewers on prison grounds are prohibited. Sanitation tasks are managed through sanctioned internal posts, with recruitment currently in progress to fill vacancies.
Independent inspection committees consisting of official and non-official members perform quarterly visits to monitor nutrition, healthcare, sanitation, vocational programmes, and living conditions. These committees also assist in the confidential processing of grievances from prisoners.
An updated legislative draft regarding rehabilitation measures, security protocols, and prisoners' rights has been submitted to the state government. The Supreme Court has scheduled the next hearing for January 13, 2027.