Lucknow, Aug 17 (IANS): Slippers for convicted prisoners, a creche and nursery for children of inmates, evening tea and biscuits, shampoo, sanitary napkins will now be available in jails in Uttar Pradesh.

The jail manual in the state has been modified sufficiently to provide better facilities to prisoners, especially female prisoners.

The amendments approved by the state Cabinet in the new prison manual are based on the orders given by various courts from time to time.

Minister of state for prisons and home guards Dharamveer Prajapati told reporters that the recommendations of the All-India Jail Reform Committee and Human Rights Commission have also been considered in the new jail manual.

Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Avanish Kumar Awasthi said that the jail manual has been changed and the punishment of 'kala pani' in Port Blair has been abolished after 100 years.

Awasthi said that acting on the instructions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the new prison manual has been implemented and it will not only improve the living conditions of the criminals in the jails, but also promote the advancement of their education and professional skills.

"Focus has also been made on maximum use of technology," he said.

Starting with reforms, from now on Fast and Secured Transmission of Electronic Records' (FASTER), a software to transmit court orders from the Supreme Court swiftly, securely through electronic mode will now be accepted across the state.

"The aim is to avoid a situation where release of prisoners gets delayed even after Supreme Court grants them bail, solely on grounds of delay in jail authorities getting certified hard copies of release order," he said.