Steps to check overcrowding in jails

Bhopal, May 08: State government has effected an important amendment to Jail Manual with a view to redressing problem of overcrowding in jail in Madhya Pradesh. As per the amendment, now the prisoners undergoing five years' jail term would be detained in sub-jails. Similarly, those undergoing ten or more years' imprisonment or life term would be detained in central jails.

Notification to this effect has been issued. All the superintendents of central jails, district jails and sub-jails have been instructed to ensure implementation of this order by June 1, 2008. Earlier, prisoners undergoing up to one-year jail term were kept in sub-jails and those convicted for up to three years' imprisonment were detained at district jails. Due to this, central jails had to accommodate prisoners double or triple of their capacity. This amendment would bring about far-reaching benefits for Jail Department as well as prisoners. Sub-jails were keeping prisoners less than their capacity while the government had to spend lots of funds in running these sub-jails. This situation would improve now and state government's resources would be utilised justifiably.

According to the amendment, prisoners convicted for minor crimes and hailing from far-fetched areas would not have to undergo imprisonment with habitual offenders at central jails as they would undergo imprisonment at a nearby sub-jail. The biggest beneficiaries of this amendment would relatives of such prisoners who had to visit far-fetched central jails. Similarly, the amendment would lessen burden on central jails which used to be overcrowded. On the other hand captives undergoing short term imprisonment would be shifted to sub-jails where they would get better opportunity of work which was not available to them at central jails. As per rules honorarium is given to prisoners in lieu of their work in jail. June 1, has been set as the deadline for jail superintendents to implement this amendment. At the same time, they have been asked to send the compliance report to the government through Jail Headquarter.