chennai corrupt practices of prison department personnel which range from forcing relatives of inmates to buy groceries for families of the personnel to colluding with gangsters for monetary benefits have been taken into account by the prison department headquarters that sent out a circular cautioning erring officials of stern action deputy inspector general of prisons headquarters k kanagaraj on january 31 sent a circular to all the heads of the central prisons for men and women district jails and borstal schools listing out the widespread and deeprooted corrupt practices involving everyone from superintendents to jail wardens though the circular did not name anyone it hints at a secondgrade warden who had illicit relationships with wives of several inmates the circular that highlighted 15 points stated that a few jailors superintendents and wardens have been taking bribe and extending facilities to inmates against the prison manual the fourpage circular also revealed that some officials were also colluding with rowdy elements and gangsters and acting against the law for personal gain the circular has been sent after the department received reports from police department from various districts said a senior official in the headquarters he however said no department enquiry has been ordered yet additional director general of police prisons abhash kumar told toi that departmental action had been taken against seven personnel for indulging in corrupt practices four months ago the circular is to warn others and dissuade them from indulging in such practices he saidthough the inmates are eligible for ordinary or emergency leave as per the prison manuals some officials are granting it only after taking bribes casteism is also being practised by a few wardens toi had earlier reported the ill practices highlighting caste discrimination within the central prisons in palayamkottai and the practice of taking bribes from convicts to grant eligible leavedemanding bribe to release inmates despite court orders allowing inmates to use mobile phones and facilitating a comfortable stay for gangsters for money were some of the other issues highlighted in the circular it also pointed out that a doctor working in the prison hospital had been smuggling out medicine to his private clinic