You would be wondering whether it was in a five star hotel or the prison you had stayed in. The “Did you enjoy your stay here” is a questionaire which 1000 prisoner in Devon and Cornwell.

Constabulary has to answer. It has 41 questions which besides asking the usual questions about the rights and a free phone call has many others which include clothing, when the clothes of the prisoner are taken away were different set was provided about the bell buzzer, the food and drinks whether it suited the prisoner’s dietary requirement, whether the cell was clean and bedding was provided? Was reading material was provided and the best one is any comments about the safety in custody suite.

It is the brain child of chief Inspector Ivan Tertheway who has formulated the questions and want the answer to study whether there were any areas where the prison service could be improved realistically.

Other police officers are feeling the pinch. In fact one of them said that these prisoners were in the prison for some reason and asking them about how comfortable their stay was is bit rich. The prisoners are also taking full advantage of the questionnaire and using the emergency cell buzzer like a room service hot line. They are also demanding celebrity magazines, putting on the air con and even asking for a salad.

Obviously the hotel type questionnaire has made them forget they are in prison and not on a holiday. But for us Indians it is nothing new. Don’t our politically active prisoners fight election from behind the bars and also walk in and out of prison as and when they wish to. And regarding modern comforts what with home food, home bedding, TV and cell phones their prison sentence is a long holiday for them, of course at the ex-chequer’s expense.