In a major bid to overhaul the public image of its penal system, the Kerala Home Department is preparing to drop the word 'jail' from all state correctional facilities. The move aims to align the terminology with modern rehabilitative and reformative practices rather than outdated concepts of punishment and confinement.

Under the proposed overhaul, central jails will be renamed 'Correctional and Management Centres', while facilities ranging from district jails to sub-jails will become 'Transit Justice Homes'. Additionally, the state Prisons Headquarters is set to be renamed the 'Department of Correctional Services Headquarters'.

The comprehensive restructuring proposal was submitted by the Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services, S Sreejith, to the Additional Chief Secretary (Home).

According to the official recommendation, traditional terms such as 'prison' and 'jail' are outdated and fail to represent the modern objectives of rehabilitation, reformation, and social reintegration. The DGP highlighted that these archaic names evoke fear and foster a negative perception in society, hindering the successful rehabilitation of inmates.

The proposed new nomenclature
The rebranding initiative covers various tiers of the state correctional network, establishing distinct names for each category:
• Prisons Headquarters: Department of Correctional Services Headquarters
• Central Prison: Correctional and Management Centre
• High Security Prison: Maximum Correctional and Management Centre
• Open Prison: Correctional and Management Open Home
• District Jail: District Transit Justice Home
• Women's Prison: Transit Justice Home for Women
• Women's Open Prison: Correctional and Management Open Home for Women
• Sub Jail: Transit Justice Home
• Special Sub Jail: Special Transit Justice Home