Kerala jails a den of drugs, escapes, and corruption; officials exposed

Kochi: On a quiet residential lane in Kochu Kadavanthra in this coastal city, officers from Kerala's Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) raided the home of a mid-level prison officer.

What they uncovered would expose more than personal misconduct -- it would throw a light on a growing crisis in the state's correctional system.

Shiras Basheer, an assistant prison officer at Ernakulam district jail, was already under surveillance when officers entered his home earlier this year.

The allegations were grave-- links to drug traffickers, supplying narcotics to prisoners, and possessing assets far beyond his known income.

By the time the preliminary investigation ended, VACB had traced Rs 76 lakh in unexplained wealth.

The raid followed a month-long intelligence operation that had led to Basheer's suspension from the service.

According to the suspension order, Basheer maintained "close ties with narcotic peddlers" and used those connections to funnel drugs into the jail -- a task he allegedly carried out with the help of contacts outside, who collected payments on his behalf.

The incident, serious in isolation, is one of several in Kerala's prison governance.

In July, just weeks after Basheer's suspension, one of the state's most notorious inmates -- Govindachamy, convicted in the high-profile Soumya rape and murder case — escaped from Kannur Central Jail.

Earlier in January, the government suspended a Deputy Inspector General of Prisons and a Jail Superintendent for illegally facilitating jail visits for controversial businessman Boby Chemmanur at the district jail in Kakkanad here.

The visit was not only unauthorised -- it followed a social media storm over Chemmanur's offensive comments about a popular actress.

With repeated incidents of contraband being seized from prisoners and multiple officials facing disciplinary action for giving inmates a free hand, experts are now calling for major reforms to ensure that prisons in Kerala become centres of true reformation.

A two-member committee formed to look into security issues in Kerala prisons, following the jailbreak of Govindachamy, has also found the need for changes.

Retired High Court Judge Justice C N Ramachandran Nair, who is part of the two-member committee investigating prison reforms in Kerala, has said that several changes are necessary to ensure that jails become genuine centres for reformation. The other member of the committee is former State Police Chief Jacob Punnoose.

Justice Nair noted that one of the major issues is prison overcrowding.

"Currently, jails are accommodating 40 per cent more prisoners than their original capacity. Also, the number of jail staff is low. Hence, it is very difficult to monitor the prisoners at all times. We have gone through news reports about the illegal nexus between prison officials and inmates. But we need to conduct a proper inquiry into it," he told PTI.

There are a total of 57 jails in the state, including three central prisons.

As of Wednesday (3 September 2025), the maximum capacity of these facilities is 7,828 inmates. However, the current prison population stands at 9,184, according to statistics from the Jail Department.

"There is no doubt that more prisons are required in the state. In our report, we will recommend setting up new jails, including at least one additional central prison. Only then can true reformation be possible," Justice Nair said.

Since Govindachamy's jailbreak from Kannur Central Jail, there have been several incidents of inmates being caught with mobile phones.

According to FIRs registered at Kannur Town police stations, six prisoners were found in possession of mobile phones inside the jail in the past two weeks alone.

"When Govindachamy escaped from prison, there were CCTV cameras in place, but no one was monitoring them. Rather than simply increasing the number of jail staff, we need to adopt modern technologies, such as AI-enabled CCTV cameras and motion-detection alarms, to ensure proper security.

"Prisoner movements should be monitored without infringing on their rights. More watchtowers are also needed. Older jails, such as Kannur Central Jail, must be modernised. Prison officials should also be monitored," Justice Nair said.

He added that the committee will carry out individual visits to all prisons to assess security standards.

The committee’s initial tenure is three months, but Justice Nair stated it would take at least six months to complete the inquiry and submit the final report.

According to jail officials, most jailbreak attempts occur when prisoners are taken out for court proceedings or hospital visits.

As per Jail Department statistics, 14 prisoners who escaped from custody have remained untraced since 2020.

A jail official noted that many escape attempts happen during court appearances.

"Even though a video conferencing system connecting jails with courts has been established, it has not yet become fully operational. A large number of inmates are still physically taken to court," the official said.

Former Director General of Prisons Alexander Jacob remarked that, compared to other states, illegal activities in Kerala's prisons are relatively limited -- but a systemic overhaul is still necessary.

Jacob said that during his tenure, he conducted a study on prison reform and submitted a 300-page report to the government.

"I recommended a comprehensive overhaul of the system, including changes in prison administration, prisoner management, and admission procedures," he said.