Arthur Road Prison Conditions

Noodle

Thank you Nick!

I will pm her.

davey

Good Luck, Let us all know how things are and the conditions it may help future prospects as a deterrent when they talk about going to India and flouting soem of the laws, Tell him to be strong and keep up a strong and confident appearence....Ps I worked in Austrlaain gaols for 7 years 8 months and 3 days they may be better conditions but the problems are the same in prisons throughout the world.

Noodle

I sent a pm to Akiko, will let you know if and when I find out more.

I talked to a friend here who 10 years ago visited a friend who was in Arthur jail. I don't know if it's still as bad as he described it ... He said, for example, the food is sparse, rice, dhal, veggies, nothing else. But I heard that nowadays they have a canteen and if you have money you can buy stuff to get some variety. He also said there were people crammed in small sleeping quarters, you had a narrow mat on the floor, so close to the next person that you'd constantly bump into them, and they into you ... Four bathrooms for 1000 people, you have to stand in line ... limited amounts of water (not enough for a proper shower), unhygienic conditions, insects, parasites .... and so on. And a doctor who gives paracetamol for everything. The only distraction was the 'library' - a table with some 50 books.

I do hope that my friend exaggerated! Or that conditions have improved since.

bijapuri

as for "criminals" . . . many tourists end up in jail for drug violations. The kingpins don't do time, we all know that. So the ones in jail usually are addicts, wether they realize it or not. This means they are in jail for a DISEASE. Addicts have to use until they get help cleaning up.

In the west, most countries offer help in the form of drug treatment before they give up and put them away. India doesn't- it's 5 years in prison, no treatment. I know this for a fact, because I've been working for the last 15 years in drug treatment in India. It's not uncommon for suspects unable to make bail to be held for a VERY LONG TIME before a trial can be fixed up.

So whoever says tough shit for those who flout laws, all I have to say is:
I respect your opinion, but you have no idea what you're talking about.

__________________
lookit me!!!: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bijapuri/

Utube fuzzy logic:
http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=bijapuri&p =r

skinnylizard

that sounds like because you are an addict you are insured against crime which is crap.

if you are an adult you alone are responsible for your actions. you come to a country which you know is hard on drugs then why try and mess with things?

you going to try this addict defence if you land in Singapore, Indonesia or Thailand?

__________________
My Eating Out Blog blog

nayan

The living condition of a lot of perfectly innocent Indians -out of prison - are the same.
those who travel to a foreign country.. break local laws(maybe in their own country it is not a punishable offence)...cannot really expect better treatment.
and I agree with skinny lizard. "I am an addict" is no excuse.

Noodle

Well, I know that the guy I'm talking about (don't know if it's the same Akiko talked about) is not an addict. I don't know exactly why he's in there. So that discussion is a moot point (at least in this case).

Otherwise I agree with bijapuri "I respect your opinion, but you have no idea what you're talking about." People who have not lived and worked in India (instead of merely visiting/travelling) have no idea what it's like ... you know, the gutter, the corruption, the missing hygiene awareness, how long everything takes (trial for example) ... all that and more.

I also agree with nayan - many Indians outside of prison don't live in better conditions than what I described. Nevertheless, I think it's much much MUCH more difficult for a German tourist to end up in such circumstances and find a way to survive it - he has never been exposed to such hellish living conditions, has no strategy how to cope ...

The friend I cited above also said that many Westerners in Indian prisons try to kill themselves.

I hope he stays strong, he's not a murderer or anything serious like that, he just did a stupid mistake.

machadinha

This thread was started by someone kindly and politely (and understandably worriedly) enquiring about her friend in prison. I hope we can keep it that way.

__________________
Reading tips, all picked up at IndiaMike : INDAX's A Comprehensive Guide To India / Dinoj Surendran's Desi Humor / ITHVC on Culture Shock & Travel Health / JetLag Travel Guides For the Undiscerning Traveller / India Travel Links

Nick-H

It's very easy to say that if you do the crime you shouldn't complain about doing the time --- if you get caught.

Those people who come here and flaut the laws of this country because they arrogantly think they are above them --- well, that attitude pisses us all of.

But don't pretend that India is a country with a cleancut law and justice system. Now way!

A good example of what this country is like, I read it today... at the current time, one cabinet politician has just been sentenced to life in prison for murder. Another politician (and popular ex-cricketer) has just been found guilty of murder. A further 10 cabinet members and 93 MPs are under police investigations for crimes including murder and rape. Some of these people may be innocent victims of conspiracies among other politicians, others will string the thing out for decades, standing and being elected to office, being apointed to high positions.

Once in a while the system may trip someone up, but the justice system here is one that can be manipulated ruthlessly by those who have money and the right contacts.

Those who are able to play the system can have their trials delayed for years. Those who are not may well suffer the same delay, but inside a cell, rather than enjoying a life of luxury.

How is a tourist, innocent or guilty, ever going to cope with this!

Having said all that, I would have to add that if a person should decide, just for example, to smuggle drugs into India --- then they should have some idea of what happens if they caught caught, and such a person could hardly complain.

__________________
... Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock' (2)

capt_mahajan

Second machadinha, and bijapuri. Lets keep the moral science lesson out of this.

__________________
.
Outside the machine

nayan

It's very easy to say that if you do the crime you shouldn't complain about doing the time --- if you get caught.

Those people who come here and flaut the laws of this country because they arrogantly think they are above them --- well, that attitude pisses us all of.

But don't pretend that India is a country with a cleancut law and justice system. Now way!

.......

Those who are able to play the system can have their trials delayed for years. Those who are not may well suffer the same delay, but inside a cell, rather than enjoying a life of luxury.

How is a tourist, innocent or guilty, ever going to cope with this!

......that was exactly my point Nick. Indian legal system is notorious for delays and non transparency and corruption and whatnot. dont you think a person who comes as a tourist to India should think long and hard before doing anything remotely illegal?
in case of getting caught he will have no one to turn to.(embassies donot offer much help)
Noodle says his freind did not do anything serious- just a stupid mistake-though he is not exactly aware what that "mistake" is.
I was not trying to deliver a moral science lecture. Just a pragmatic word. if you get caught committing "a stupid mistake" in India donot expect the jail conditions to be rosy or your embassy to be able to help you.
I have seen some mails in IM about dope (where.. how... risks..etc)... do this people really understand that if they get caught what will be the consequence.. not just for them but for family and friends?
Thats what makes me sad.

machadinha

I'm not gonna reread the whole thread but I've read it before and I have no memory of there being any direct indication of this person being in there for drug-related issues.

Thank you.

nayan

I didnot say he was involved in drug related offence. Noodle does not give any info abt his offence.
It was Bijapuri who said that most foreigners locked up in Indian jails was result of drug related offence.

My above mail holds true for any offence, crime or "stupid mistake".

Again.. I was not trying to deliver a moral lecture...

machadinha

Well you're doing a good job of it. Ever seen a jail from the inside? Or imagined yourself ending up in one for some reason?

Nick-H

Bijapuri was right in what he said, but some of us seem to have taken up the drugs-related point, which I now agree may well not be relevant to this thread.

Nobody seems to know what this guy has done, or is said to have done.