MADURAI: Prisoners deserve a dignified life and they must enjoy their rights during incarceration, said Madras high court, underscoring the need to improve prison culture and environment in Tamil Nadu.

To achieve the twin goals, a division bench laid down a set of directions, including formation of board of visitors for each jail and appointment of non-official visitors to all jails in the state.

Prison administration needs to be reformed for creating a better environment and prison culture to ensure prisoners enjoy their right to dignified life under Article 21 of the Constitution, observed the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court while passing a series of directions in this regard.