33rd Asian and Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators (APCCA) Inaugurated

The Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde inaugurated the 33rd Asian and Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators (APCCA) in New Delhi on 24 September 2013.

Major points explained during the conference

• Society’s expectations from the Criminal Justice System, particularly from the prison and correctional administration
• Imprisonment of the main punitive measure imposed on individuals who have been convicted of a criminal offence and over emphasis on imprisonment
• The trauma of the imprisonment of a member of the family together with economic factors
• Alternative modes to imprisonment
• Activities focusing on vulnerable groups, including children, women, and prisoners with special needs and inclusion of these in prison reform programmes
• A large number of innovative initiatives aimed at reformation and rehabilitation of offenders implemented at the Indian prisons
• Regular Academic Education, Distance Education; Industrial Training Institutes and other Vocational Facilities such as computer literacy being provided to the prisoners of several States in order to equip them with skills to earn their living after release
• Innovative Banking Schemes to provide funds for released prisoners to establish their own wage earning units
• Use of individual talents in order to sustain special skills of offenders in the field of painting, drawing, sculpturing, singing, dance and dramatics
• Rules of employment in government jobs for accommodating released prisoner if they acquire sufficient academic or vocational skills during their incarceration unless they have been convicted of an offence involving moral turpitude

About the Asian and Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators (APCCA)

• Asian and Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators (APCCA) is the prestigious event for the correctional officers to share ideas and learn from others’ experiences and give direction to innovative ideas in correctional administration and welfare.
• In the 33rd APCCA, apart from delegates from 23 member countries, the delegates from States and UTs dealing with correctional administrations are also attending the conference.
• Every year an annual conference is organised by the member countries on rotational basis where Correctional Administrators of member countries exchange ideas in relation to the prison reforms in the Asia Pacific region.
• The conference gives correctional officers a chance to express their knowledge and exchange best practices being adopted in various countries.