Udupi: The district jail of Udupi near Hiriyadka has a reading room for jail-birds at large, to read news papers, magazines, novels, literacy masterpieces, and seek inspiration for creative writing and such other arts to became civilized men behind 4 walls.

On a suggestion from DC, Dr.M.K.Reju, to local Library Authority, the district librarian Diwakar, arranged a library of 400 books and 5 dailies, besides 5 periodicals to the jail in the middle of a forest region here, for inmates to spend time usefully.

The newspapers/periodicals are brought from 2kms away in Onthibetta on Hiriyadka main road, by jail officials. There are 4 dailies in Kannada and only one in English.

The jail has a space for 250 prisoners, but there are only one in 84 in the forest jail here, facing enquiry in criminal cases. Many know English well, and the reading room and Library are open from 10.30am to 12.30pm.
Prisoners include graduate sinner. All of them thieves or assailants, read books and news items avidly and crave for more such materials.

The jail is run by these prisoners in a lively fashion. The jailor merely oversee them. The library is run by readers here. There are computer engineers, fax repairers and writers among the jail-birds, who are also cooks, cleaners and what not. There is a shortage of jail staff, filled up by such prisoners in Udupi, in this jail.