Maharashtra: Now, convicts can meet their relatives twice a month in prisons

The decision of letting the convicts meet their relatives twice, instead of the once, as per the earlier norms, the government intends to raise emotional levels and reduce the frustration building among them over the time.

The convicts in the central prisons of Maharashtra will now get permissions to meet their relatives twice in a month.

The decision of letting the convicts meet their relatives twice, instead of the once, as per the earlier norms, the government intends to raise emotional levels and reduce the frustration building among them over the time.

The state home department has recently issued the notification in this respect. "We wanted to make life easier by connecting them with their family members more frequently. In some of the districts, there have been separate meeting rooms constructed for the convicts within the premised of the jails. This will help in maintaining the mental peace of the prisoners," said Vijay Satbir Singh, principal secretary, home department.

Currently, the undertrials get more number of opportunities to meet their relatives, while the convicts face more restrictions. There are 28,000 prisoners in 49 jails across Maharashtra. Of them about only 30% are convicts.

The department has also decided to install more telephone coin boxes inside the prisons so that the inmates can talk with their family members.