Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The state government has approved a proposal under which the jail department minister will decide the names of male and female prisoners who can live with their families in the state's eight open prisons.
The jail department had submitted a proposal to the state government seeking permission to allow women prisoners to be accommodated in open prisons.
The state government has granted permission to the jail department, allowing women prisoners to be kept in open prisons. Earlier, the scheme was available only to male prisoners.
Currently, there are 800 convicted female prisoners and 20,000 male prisoners in state’s 11 central jails, 41 district jails and 73 sub-jails.//
Eight open prisons
At present, open prisons exist in Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Narsinghpur, Narmadapuram, Satna, Ujjain and Sagar. The combined capacity of these open prisons is 138 inmates.
Recent data indicates that 111 inmates reside there. All of them have been transferred after meeting the criteria set by the prison administration.
In an open prison, every inmate is provided with a one-bedroom house to live with family and is permitted to go outside the prison for work to support the family.
The merit, the committee
According to the new provisions, male and female prisoners will get an equal opportunity to live in the open prison colony. Applications will be invited from convicted prisoners.
After scrutiny of the applications, a committee be chaired by the Director General of prisons will examine and approve eligible applications. After clearance from the committee, the jail department minister will approve the final list.
Open prison
Open prisons differ from conventional jails. They do not have bars or strict surveillance, and inmates are permitted to live with their families.
They may go out for work between approximately 6 am and 6 pm but must return at night.
Employment is typically sought within a 20-km radius. The government provides rations and essential supplies for the first month, after which inmates support their families through their own earnings.
Eligibility criteria for female inmates
Under the rules, only convicted prisoners are eligible for transfer to open prisons. Undertrial prisoners are not eligible.
To qualify, an inmate must have maintained good conduct in jail and must not face allegations of indiscipline, fighting, violence or serious violations of prison regulations.
Physical and mental fitness is essential to enable the inmate to work in an open environment.
Transfers are restricted to inmates serving sentences exceeding seven years who have completed at least two-thirds of their sentence. Inmates serving life imprisonment may be transferred to an open prison after 14 years.
Additional conditions include possession of a vocational skill or means of livelihood and an assurance that the inmate will not abscond while residing in the open prison.
Convicts involved in serious offences, such as terrorist activities, treason, organised crime, dacoity, kidnapping or smuggling, are not eligible for open prisons.
