Open jail for women to come up in Pune

The state government will set up an open jail exclusively for women prisoners at Yerawada in Pune on the coming Republic Day (January 26), announced state Home Minister R.R. Patil in the legislative council in Nagpur on Tuesday.

The state government will set up an open jail exclusively for women prisoners at Yerawada in Pune on the coming Republic Day (January 26), announced state Home Minister R.R. Patil in the legislative council in Nagpur on Tuesday.

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There are three open jails in the state — Yerawada, Paithan and Amravati in Vidarbha — for male prisoners. Open prisons are low security prisons where inmates stay in open dormitories.

A prisoner nearing the end of his term is selected for an open prison with a view to prepare him for life outside after release.

However, the rules disqualify women prisoners and place them in the same category as drug offenders, rapists, gamblers and robbers.

This denies women inmates the opportunity to avail of the freedom in open jails.

Replying to a calling attention motion raised by Mohan Joshi (Congress) and others, Patil assured the House that the necessary notification would be issued within a week.