Tamil Nadu chief minister tours Puzhal jail, urges education and rehab for inmates

Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay spent Friday touring three sections of Puzhal Central Prison, including areas for undertrials, convicts and women prisoners. Accompanied by senior prison officials, he inspected the kitchen, clothing storage and medical facilities while questioning inmates about conditions. Vijay highlighted that most prisoners are incarcerated because of their circumstances, distinguishing accidental errors from deliberate crimes, and urged the authorities to provide more educational resources, vocational training and books.

A prison official noted Vijay’s sympathy and his request to create reform opportunities. The visit came after the state assembly debated the prison department’s grant request, and follows recent measures such as new body-cameras for staff and a stitching allowance for prison employees. State data show 23,608 inmates across 125 prisons, with a mix of illiterate, graduate and postgraduate detainees.