Rajamahendravaram Central Prison is a prison located in
Rajamahendravaram,
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
.
History
In 1602, the
Dutch constructed a fort in
Rajamahendravaram. The
British empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...
converted it into a jail in 1864, and then elevated it to a central jail in 1870. The jail is spread over out of which the buildings occupy .
![Rajahmundry Central Prison--](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Rajahmundry_Central_Prison--.jpg)
In 2012, a few lawmakers proposed shifting of the jail from its present location to a new site in
Jaggampeta. As per the proposal, the existing property was to be utilised for public amenities. 20 acres of land was towards construction of a sport stadium, 120 acres for the new campus of Nannayya University, and rest of the land going towards providing housing for the poor. This proposal met with criticism from other lawmakers that represented this region.
Facilities
The jail trains the convicts in making furniture and other crafts. In 2008, it was reported that the jail improved the literacy rate of its inmates. About 240 prisoners graduated from prison. The prison administration offers vocational courses and legal services to the prisoners. The inmates are allowed to sell fruits and vegetables while serving their time. On one occasion, they raised through the sale proceeds.
In 2011, the
University Grants Commission and a regional Gandhian Studies Centre began offering a three-month certificate course in
Gandhian philosophy
Gandhism is a body of ideas that describes the inspiration, vision, and the life work of M.K. Gandhi. It is particularly associated with his contributions to the idea of nonviolent resistance, sometimes also called civil resistance.
The ter ...
to the male prisoners of the jail. During the launch of this course, the jail authorities said that they placed priority on educating the prisoners. The jail also offers the opportunity for further education through the
Andhra Pradesh Open University.
To improve the facilities at this prison, the
central government
A central government is the government that is a controlling power over a unitary state. Another distinct but sovereign political entity is a federal government, which may have distinct powers at various levels of government, authorized or dele ...
sanctioned for the renovation of central jail using funds from the
thirteenth Finance Commission (2010—2015). The funds were planned to be utilised towards construction of a kitchen, a 100-bed hospital, barracks, and workshops.
See also
Department of Prisonsof
Government of Andhra Pradesh
Government of Andhra Pradesh, abbreviated as, GOAP, or, Andhra Government, is the Subnational administrative division, subnational government for the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is an elected government with 175 Member of the Legislative ...
References
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Prisons in Andhra Pradesh
Buildings and structures in Rajahmundry
1864 establishments in India