JAIL MAIL: KEY TO TRANSPARENCY: CHRI’S GUIDEBOOK ON RTI AND PRISONS

In October this year, India completed 13 years of having ushered in a progressive law, the Right to Information Act (RTI), 2005, which empowered Indian citizens to seek access to vital information necessary for the democratic functioning of our nation. Yet, to this day, prisons remain closed institutions with hardly any information about its functioning and performance made available in the public domain. The RTI Act can change this, but awareness regarding these provisions, especially for prisoners or their relatives, is woefully inadequate. This Jail Mail answers basic queries to questions on the issue and includes a copy of our recent publication 'Key to Transparency' - Your Guide to Using the RTI Act 2005 to Collect Data on Indian Prisons'