Do not move Attakulangara jail until further orders: HC

The Kerala High Court has directed the state government not to proceed with the transfer of the Attakulangara Women’s Prison and Correctional Institution to the Poojappura Central Prison and Correctional Institution without further orders from the court.

Supreme Court Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas passed the order on a petition filed by Sakhi Women’s Resource Centre, a rights-based non-profit organization based in Thiruvananthapuram.

The court adjourned the case to June 23.

In October last year, the then Left Democratic Front government had agreed to shift the Attakulangara Women’s Jail to the old block of the Poojappura Central Jail.

According to a government order issued at the time, the move was in line with plans to set up another high-profile prison in the southern part of the state.

According to the order, the existing women’s prison would be converted into a temporary special prison that could accommodate up to 300 inmates, with the condition that it would be merged with the new prison after its establishment.

The move raised concerns about the welfare of female inmates. Inmates and prison officials alleged that the old women’s block in the Central Jail could not accommodate even half of the women inmates of Attakulangara. Prisoners often included pregnant women, people with children, women with chronic health problems and people with mental problems. Prisoners have expressed concern at the prospect of being confined to an old block that has no facilities for their physical or mental well-being.

According to Sakhi, Attakulangara Women’s Prison is one of only three institutions to house female offenders and remand/female prisoners and one of the 31 exclusive women’s prisons in India.

Challenges and difficulties

According to her, the prison was developed to meet the specific needs of women inmates, such as adequate space and facilities for children living with their mothers, provision of vocational training and rehabilitation programs, and easy accessibility for relatives, lawyers and social workers to visit inmates. These considerations would be seriously affected if the women’s prison was shifted to Poojappura. The move would not only disrupt ongoing rehabilitation efforts, but also cause emotional and logistical hardship for women inmates and their families.

The District Office of Legal Services submitted a report to the court on the matter.

Published – 03 Jun 2026 22:03 IST