₹20 crore allocated annually under the Support to Poor Prisoners Scheme
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar attends the 9th National Conference of Jail Officers as the Chief Guest in Visakhapatnam
VISAKAPATNAM (AP), JANUARY 28, 2026: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar said that the Narendra Modi-led Central Government is giving special focus to strengthening prisons across the country while also reforming them to bring about positive change among inmates. He said ₹950 crore has been allocated under the Prison Modernisation Project, to construct high-security prisons and strengthen security infrastructure in existing jails.
The Union Minister attended as the Chief Guest and addressed the two-day 9th National Conference of Correctional Administrators, held at Sai Priya Resorts in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. BPR&D Director Alok Ranjan, Andhra Pradesh Prisons DG Anjani Kumar, senior officers Ravi Lokku and Jitendra Meena, DG Uttar Pradesh P.C.Meena, Telangana Prisons DG Soumya Mishra, and senior prison officials from various states across the country participated in the conference. Key highlights from the Minister’s address are as follows:
He expressed confidence that the 9th National Conference of Correctional Administrators, jointly organised by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) and the Andhra Pradesh Prisons & Correctional Services Department, would serve as a vital platform to further strengthen prison reforms across the country.
The conference provides an opportunity for correctional administrators from various states and Union Territories to share experiences, discuss best practices, innovative initiatives, and policy imperatives, and chart a clear course of action to improve the quality of prison administration.
He stressed the need to focus on the care of poor and vulnerable prisoners in custody, implementation of Model Jail Standards, and post-release rehabilitation of inmates. He said discussions should also focus on strategies for implementing the Support to Poor Prisoners Scheme, the Prison Modernisation Project, challenges in adopting the Model Prison Manual–2016 and the Model Prisons & Correctional Services Act–2023, implementation of Section 479 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, use of technology in prisons, Aadhaar authentication, video conferencing, telemedicine, and standardisation and accreditation of prison training institutions.
He said the Central Government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been continuously guiding prison reforms through policy frameworks, legal structures, and targeted schemes. Under the Support to Poor Prisoners Scheme, ₹20 crore is being allocated annually, and so far 237 prisoners in 16 states and Union Territories have benefited from the scheme.
Under the Prison Modernisation Project, a total of ₹950 crore has been allocated, with a focus on high-security prisons and strengthening security infrastructure. For the financial year 2025–26, ₹101.45 crore has been allocated for this purpose.
He noted that BPR&D is playing a crucial role in building a humane, secure, and reform-oriented prison system through research-based standards and capacity-building programmes. Under the National Prison Training Policy–2025, special emphasis has been placed on human rights and professional skill development. Since 1997, 701 training programmes have been conducted, training 15,875 prison officers across the country.
Though prison administration is a state subject, he said the core objective of the conference should be to build a safe, humane, and rehabilitation-focused prison system through close coordination between the Centre and the States. He expressed hope that the discussions and resolutions of the conference would provide direction for future policies, laws, and administrative reforms.
About the Author
