By IANS,
Ranchi : Taking a cue from Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan in operating open jails, Jharkhand will also experiment with the system with an open jail coming up in the state’s Hazaribagh district, an official said Friday.
“We will soon start an open jail in Hazaribagh district,” Inspector General (Prisons) Sunil Kumar Barnawal told IANS.
According to jail department sources, Jharkhand has started surveying the concept of open jails functioning in some parts of the country, aiming at changing the prisoners’ mindset and ensuring their rehabilitation after they are freed from jail.
“Initially we will start an open jail with a restricted number of prisoners. We will also go by the crime record of the prisoners. If we get a good response, then more and more prisoners, even those guilty of serious offences, could be put in an open jail,” another official of the jail department said.
The open jail could be a solution to the overcrowded jails in the state. There are around 21,000 prisoners languishing in the 27 jails in the state including the two central jails, against a total capacity of 7,000. Prisoners convicted of serious charges like rape and murder are lodged in the central jails.