Free us, otherwise we will riot: Prisoners across the world including India are forcing the govt to release them

As the Coronavirus outbreak across the world has triggered a sense of panic with quarantines and isolation wards becoming a common sight in almost every part of the world, it is the prisoners who seem to be having a gala time.

Now, the Coronavirus scare has hit the Tihar jail as well as other jails in the National Capital. And now 18 prionsers have been reportedly quarantined. Confirming this development, Additional Inspector General Raj Kumar said, “Yes, we have adopted the precautionary measures following the coronavirus fear. Some Indian and foreign nationals have been put into isolation. It was required as per the advisories issued by the government and health department.”

Meanwhile, jail inmates in Kanpur have realised that remaining inside the prison is safer than outside. Therefore, prisoners no longer want Court hearings. They feel that they might get exposed to the Wuhan virus on their way to Court and therefore they want hearings to be conducted through video conferencing.

Meanwhile in Punjab, the Jails department is mulling the release of 3,000 drug peddlers and 2,800 petty criminals. The object is to prevent the overcrowding of prisons and containing the Coronavirus outbreak as cramped up spaces in jails can become the breeding grounds of the novel virus. The outbreak has thus come as an unexpected relief for the petty criminals.

The situation in the United States is no different. The Los Angles County Sheriff’s Department is reportedly releasing jail inmates and cutting down on the number of people booked into custody as it doesn’t want to risk those already in custody.

Similar measures are being taken in New York. The city Mayor Bill de Blasio said that releasing jailed suspects is being considered in view of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The inmate group to be released would most likely consist of the elderly and indisposed- those with weak immunity systems, and also those at low risk of being repeat offenders.

Prisoners in Brazil have gone a step further misusing the panic caused by the Coronavirus outbreak. Hundreds of jail inmates escaped from at least four different prisons in the state of Sao Paulo, following the cancellation of their temporary exits because of the fear that they could bring the novel infection into the prisons from outside.

In fact, rebellions and rioting has become the norm in such prisons over Coronavirus-related restrictions imposed by jail authorities. Taking advantage of this situation, hundreds of prisoners have escaped from jails.

A more serious situation has developed in Iranian jails. The country has been hit severely by the COVID-19 outbreak. At the time of writing this story, 17361 people had already tested positive for Coronavirus and 1,135 had perished to it.

According to a recorded message British-Iranian political prisoner Anoosheh Ashoori, lodged in an Iranian jail over spying charges, there is complete chaos in the jail he is imprisoned in because of the Wuhan virus outbreak. Iran is releasing prisoners with jail terms upto 5 years and also older inmates with longer jail terms. In a recording from his phone call to his wife, he told that he has been transferred to a new ward that previously houses quarantined Coronavirus cases.

Describing the disconcerting situation in the prison, Ashoori said,  “As we entered [the new prison ward] the soldiers were wearing worn-out masks, and no gloves. Nobody checked anybody for high temperature. All our stuff they touched when we entered”. He added, “Last night bedbugs were biting everyone. Nobody slept through the night. Today we have newcomers who are murderers and all different outlaws. Someone was sent from corona[virus] quarantine.”

The prison situation in Italy is also becoming tense. The second worst Coronavirus-affected country currently lodges around 22 lakh prisoners behind the bars. Along with depleting strength of jail staff and officers getting quarantined amidst the Coronavirus scare, the country is witnessing the biggest federal prison lockdown since 1995. The Coronavirus scare and the prolific situation offered by the prisons for its exponential rise.

Meanwhile, the Pandemic has sparked riots in Italian prisons. Prisoners have risen in revolt- Salerno and Poggioreale in Naples were the first ones to witness rebellions by jail inmates. Dozens of prisoners managed to reach the roof of the facility, while their families shouted  “Pardon! Pardon!” in font of the prison, which eventually led to clashes with the riot police.

There can be no denying the fact that prisons across the world, with their terrible conditions- overcrowded spaces and serious lack of hygiene, are disasters waiting to happen. It is not a matter of surprise that even the correction officers are worried about their own safety. In countries like Egypt with densely populated prisons, a public health emergency of this kind triggers a new kind of rights crisis.

As Coronavirus outbreak intensified, jails can emerge as the new hotbeds of the novel Wuhan infection- hardened criminals, convicts, undertrials and prison staff everyone is at danger of getting infected.