E-Paper
State plans 9 new prisons to reduce overcrowding
PATNA To relieve the pressure on Bihar’s overcrowded jails, the state home department is planning to set up nine new prisons in eight districts, including one in Nalanda
PATNA
To relieve the pressure on Bihar’s overcrowded jails, the state home department is planning to set up nine new prisons in eight districts, including one in Nalanda.
According to a notification issued by the home department, the government has decided to build new nine prisons at subdivisional level at Rajgir (Nalanda), Rajauli (Nawada), Marhaura (Saran), Maharajganj (Siwan), Hathua (Gopalganj), Mahnar (Vaishali), Simri Bakhtiyarpur (Saharsa), Chakia and Pakdidayal (East Champaran).
Each of them will have a capacity of housing 1,000 inmates.
The Patna high court had earlier directed the state government to set up an experts’ committee to conduct a “scientific study on setting up model prisons with necessary infrastructure and take steps to reduce overcrowding in jails”.
As on April 30, 2021, the 58 jails in Bihar, including eight central prisons, 32 district and 17 subdivisional prisons, had 55,000 inmates as against the capacity of 39, 542.
The overcrowded prisons In the midst of Covid-19 pandemic is a serious concerns for the state government.
A senior official of the state home department said that a proposal to construct multiple new jails with modern amenities was under consideration of the state government. He said multi-storey prisons would also be considered at some of these places.
The official overcrowding was a bigger challenge, especially in high-security central prisons housing criminals from organised gangs and those jailed for serious and heinous crimes. Inmates have to be segregated and kept physically apart from each other, especially those from rival gangs or with possible hostility, they added.
Officials said some of the inmates, who have violent history or those involved in cases of terrorism and Maoism, have to be housed separately, and that additional jails will also help prison administration better segregate the existing population from security point of view.
Sources said the new jails will be designed by Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D).
Around 10 acres of land will be needed for a subdivisional jail. Around 20 acres of land is needed for district jail while 30 acres for a central jail.
IG (Prisons) Mithilesh Mishra said, “Construction of the new prisons is at the planning stage. We are in talks with the government for land sanction and other formalities. Once land is sanctioned, we will plan the infrastructure.”
Headline: Behind bars in Bihar
Intro: The Patna High Court has earlier directed the state government to move towards model jails
Number of jails in Bihar: 58
Central jails: 8
District jails: 32
Subdivisional jails: 17
Open jail: 1
Total number of inmates: 55,000
Current capacity: 39, 542
New jails will come up at:
Rajgir (Nalanda)
Rajauli (Nawada)
Marhaura (Saran)
Maharajganj (Siwan)
Hathua (Gopalganj)
Mahnar (Vaishali)
Simri Bakhtiyarpur (Saharsa)
Chakia (East Champaran)
Pakdidayal (East Champaran)
