Tamil Nadu jailbreak: Armed personnel to guard 9 central prisons, 5 women’s prisons and 13 district jails round the clock

CHENNAI: In a sweeping security overhaul following the escape of 17 prisoners from Theni sub-jail, the prisons department has deployed personnel armed with self-loading rifles (SLRs) to guard watchtowers round the clock at nine central prisons, five special prisons for women and 13 district jails.Personnel have been instructed to open fire at inmates attempting to escape.The move comes as the department steps up security across the state to prevent a repeat of the jailbreak. It has also cancelled personnel’s leave, directed them to report for duty immediately and instructed them to carry batons.Highly placed sources said the department had issued SLRs to Tamil Nadu Special Police personnel and prison staff assigned to guard watchtowers along prison perimeters.“Every central and district prison has five to six watchtowers. These will be manned round the clock by personnel armed with SLRs to thwart escape attempts. They have also been instructed to open fire if any prisoner attempts to escape,” a senior prison official said.The weapons were issued from the department’s armoury on Tuesday. Armed personnel began guarding watchtowers at central prisons the same day, with the arrangement extended to district jails from Wednesday.Director general of prisons and correctional services Sandeep Rai Rathore has issued clear instructions to “open fire at prisoners attempting to escape”, the official said.However, Rathore said the deployment would depend on security requirements and the prevailing situation.“Depending on the security requirements and prevailing situation, watchtower personnel will be armed as a preventive measure. A security audit of prisons has been underway for the past week. Once the audit reports are received by the end of this month, a gap analysis will be carried out and further decisions will be taken to strengthen prison security and address vulnerabilities,” he said.The department has also issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) to prevent jailbreaks and prisoner escapes as part of the wider security measures.Tamil Nadu has 125 prison institutions, including nine central prisons, five special prisons for women, 13 district jails, 82 sub-jails for men, two special sub-jails each for men and women, three open-air prisons and a young offender correctional facility.The total authorised capacity is 24,148 inmates.Although the prison population is around 23,600, below the state’s overall authorised capacity, overcrowding remains a concern because inmates are unevenly distributed across facilities.Central prisons in Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai, along with several district prisons in southern Tamil Nadu, are operating at 115% to 150% of their sanctioned capacity, adding to security challenges.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Chennai | Silver Rate in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai | Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Petrol Price in Chennai | Diesel Price in Chennai | CNG Price in Chennai | LPG Price in ChennaiStay updated with the latest Chennai news. Download the TOI App.