New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday said setting up open prisons can be a solution to overcrowding and also address the issue of rehabilitation of prisoners.
Semi-open or open prisons allow convicts to work outside the premises during the day to help them earn livelihood and return in the evening. This concept was brought to assimilate the convicts with the society and to reduce their psychological pressure as they faced difficulties in leading a normal life outside.
Hearing a petition on prisons and prisoners, a bench of Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta said it wanted to expand the presence of open prisons across the country.
“One solution to the problem of overcrowding in jails could be to set up open air jails/camps.The said system is working efficiently in the state of Rajasthan. Apart from addressing the problem of prison overcrowding, it also addresses the issue of rehabilitation of prisoners," the bench said.
The bench clarified that it would not touch the issues related to prisons and jail reforms which are already pending before its coordinate bench in some other petitions.
Counsel appearing for the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) told the court that it had sought responses from all the states on open jails and 24 of them have responded.Senior advocate Vijay Hansaria, who is assisting the apex court as amicus curiae in the case, said the convicts are not informed that they have the right to approach the appellate court through the Legal Services Authority.
The bench said that if there is a uniform e-prison module across the country, many of these things can be resolved.
It said the issue of e-prison module, a comprehensive prison management system, is being dealt with by a coordination bench.
"We will also consider the issue of open prisons in these proceedings," the bench said, adding, "We plan to expand it and ensure that this system of open prisons is adopted across the country." Go.,
The bench requested counsel Parmeshwar to assist Hansaria as amicus curiae.
It also requested the counsel appearing for NALSA to assist the court in the matter and posted it for hearing on May 16.
Semi-open or open prisons allow convicts to work outside the premises during the day to help them earn livelihood and return in the evening. This concept was brought to assimilate the convicts with the society and to reduce their psychological pressure as they faced difficulties in leading a normal life outside.
Hearing a petition on prisons and prisoners, a bench of Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta said it wanted to expand the presence of open prisons across the country.
“One solution to the problem of overcrowding in jails could be to set up open air jails/camps.The said system is working efficiently in the state of Rajasthan. Apart from addressing the problem of prison overcrowding, it also addresses the issue of rehabilitation of prisoners," the bench said.
The bench clarified that it would not touch the issues related to prisons and jail reforms which are already pending before its coordinate bench in some other petitions.
Counsel appearing for the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) told the court that it had sought responses from all the states on open jails and 24 of them have responded.Senior advocate Vijay Hansaria, who is assisting the apex court as amicus curiae in the case, said the convicts are not informed that they have the right to approach the appellate court through the Legal Services Authority.
The bench said that if there is a uniform e-prison module across the country, many of these things can be resolved.
It said the issue of e-prison module, a comprehensive prison management system, is being dealt with by a coordination bench.
"We will also consider the issue of open prisons in these proceedings," the bench said, adding, "We plan to expand it and ensure that this system of open prisons is adopted across the country." Go.,
The bench requested counsel Parmeshwar to assist Hansaria as amicus curiae.
It also requested the counsel appearing for NALSA to assist the court in the matter and posted it for hearing on May 16.
