E-Paper
Bail for undertrials to reduce Maha jail crowding: ADG prisons
The initiative is proposed in 60 jails of Maharashtra spread across 45 locations
In view of the (Covid-19) coronavirus outbreak in the state, the Maharashtra prison department will request judicial authorities to grant complete or provisional bail to undertrials in minor and moderate cases to reduce crowding in jails, said Sunil Ramanand, additional director general (ADG) of prisons at a press meet held in the city on Tuesday.
“We must remember that this is an abnormal situation,” said ADG Ramanand.
The initiative is proposed in 60 jails of Maharashtra spread across 45 locations. The 60 prisons, which have a capacity of 24,000, hold 38,000 inmates of which 40-45 per cent inmates are lodged in four central prisons including Yerawada, Arthur road, Thane, and Nashik prisons.
“Of the prison population (38,000), only 8,500 are convicts. Rest are undertrials.Therefore, we are trying to reduce the number of undertrials who are being prosecuted for cases which entail a maximum jail term of seven years. We have set up quarantine rooms in jails to combat the coronavirus outbreak,” he said,
According to him, some undertials are denied bail due to technical reasons, and some who do not have proper documentation like Aadhaar card for bail. Decongesting jails is must as there is a need to reduce the numbers to stop the fast- spreading virus.
Two private organisations, Azim Premji Philanthrophic Initiaitve (APPI) and Tata Trust, will be at the forefront of the initiative on behalf of the prison department. The two organisations have ongoing Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with the home department of the state government to undertake initiatives like rehabilitation, mental and physical health, family contact and acquiring bail for undertrial prisoners.
Initiatives to prevent Covid-19 in prisons
-All prisons have been asked to identify and prepare isolation spaces for possible cases
-The diet of the prisoners will be changed to include immunity boosting foods.
-Medical camps will begin inside jails while preliminary physical check-up for cough, sneezing, body temperature, throat itching, and nose overflowing will be conducted for every person trying to enter prison premises.
-The Junior Officer Training Course (JOTC) building has been prepared as an isolation space to quarantine any possible cases of the 5,000 jail staff.
-Prison department has requested the judicial officers to discontinue complete physical production of inmates - be it for remand, trial or bail and switch to video conferencing.
The physical interaction of the prisoners with their family members is also shut down. The interaction will happen through payphones or via video calling facility in the prison premise.
