In Shawshank Redemption, Morgan Freeman (left) used to sneak in cigarettes and other such luxuries inside the jail

Life is cosier inside the four walls than outside for the inmates of a Bihar prison.

They have all the luxuries of life in the jail and have an excellent communication network. And to avail the benefits, they have only to grease the palms of the men who matter.

The startling facts have come to the fore in a joint report sent to the government by Sitamarhi district magistrate Pratima S. Verma and superintendent of police Nawal Kishore Singh in the aftermath of the police firing in the divisional jail on August 9 night. The incident had left two prisoners seriously wounded.

In addition, the government had assigned Tirhut divisional commissioner Narmadeshwar Lal and deputy inspector-general (Tirhut) A.K. Mishra to conduct thorough investigation into the police firing. DIG Mishra confirmed on Thursday that they submitted their report to the government a fortnight ago.

The joint report of the DM and the SP is, however, an eye-opener for the officials of the prison department. The report revealed that a select group of prisoners was allowed to avail facilities such as air-conditioners, coolers and mobiles. Even drugs like marijuana and liquor were provided to the “privileged” ones in gross violation of the jail manual, the report said.

The rules stipulate that the undertrials should not possess any material other than clothes. Anything essential could be possessed with prior permission from the authorities. All the visitors to the jail are thoroughly checked before being allowed inside. Even prisoners who go out for some reason and return are physically checked while entering the jail premises, a senior prison department official said.

“With this practice and rule, it is difficult to smuggle contraband in the jail without the tacit support of the jail authorities,” the report stated, adding that the prison officials neither informed the senior officials of the district nor the prison directorate about such illegal activities going on inside the divisional jail for long.

The report also raised questions about the security of the other prisoners lodged in the jail — how could private labourers and masons be engaged for construction work inside the prison by the inmates.

“If one has money, everything is available inside the prisons of the state. Cigarettes, marijuana and liquor are available for a price,” an inmate of the Phulwari jail in Patna said.