Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay on Friday inspected Puzhal Central Prison and directed

Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay at the Puzhal Central Prison

23,608 inmates were lodged in 125 prisons across Tamil Nadu, including nine central prisons, according to prison department data. Of them, 2,076 were illiterate, comprising 652 convicts, 1,234 undertrials and 190 detenues. The data also showed that 323 inmates had postgraduate qualifications and 1,317 had completed degree courses.

Because of the circumstances they faced, during his interaction with prison officials, Vijay said most prisoners had reached prison. He stressed the importance of reading and asked officials to ensure that prisoners had access to an adequate collection of books. He drew a distinction between an unintentional mistake and deliberate wrongdoing. He advised officials to create opportunities for inmates to reform.

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay on Friday inspected Puzhal Central Prison and directed prison authorities to provide the inmates with opportunities for rehabilitation, education and vocational training.

Later, Vijay inspected Puzhal police station, where he sat in the inspector’s room and discussed law and order situation with police officials. West Chennai joint commissioner Disha Mittal and Kolathur deputy commissioner of police Rajesh Kannan were present during the visit.