“No one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens but its lowest ones.” – Nelson Mandela 

Delhi High Court while following the Principle of Constitutional Morality and Fundamental Rights enshrined under part three of the Constitution, in the case of Ved Yadav v. State of NCT of Delhi, issued guidelines regarding the prisoners who sustain injuries while working in prison have the Right to Compensation and Right to get Justice.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma observed that “at present, neither the Delhi Prisons Act of 2000 nor the Delhi Prison Rules of 2018 say anything about what happens to the lost time and wages of the convict rendered incapable of working after his accident or after having had an amputation.”

She further noted that prisoners also have the right to live with dignity, they cannot be made to suffer because of inadequacy on the part of the administration.

The guidelines state, “Jail superintendent is duty bound to inform the concerned jail inspecting judge within 24 hours. A committee consisting of, the Director General, Prisons, the medical superintendent of a government hospital and the secretary of Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) of the district, will determine the amount of compensation.”