The department has also instructed its officials to see that those who are languishing in jails for cases that have punishments of three to seven years be bailed out.
Days after the Supreme Court (SC) stated that prisoners "cannot be kept in jail like animals", the state prisons department has taken stringent measures to reduce overcrowding in jails. The department has also instructed its officials to see that those who are languishing in jails for cases that have punishments of three to seven years be bailed out.
On March 30, a bench of Justices MB Lokur and Deepak Gupta in SC had warned the Directors General of Police (Prisons) of all states and Union Territories of contempt notice for non-compliance of its earlier orders with regard to submitting a plan of action to deal with the issue of overcrowding in prisons.
"It is unfortunate that the prisons are overcrowded. Prisoners also have human rights and they cannot be kept in jails like animals," the bench had said.
A prison official, explaining the reasons that led to overcrowding in jails said, "There are several reasons that lead to overcrowding in jails such as lack of space, no addition in the current infrastructure and more influx of inmates due to rise in crimes. Jails are mainly for convicts but under-trials have outnumbered them in Maharashtra Jails." As on March 31, 2018, there are 8,624 convicts and 24,087 under-trials in Maharashtra jails.
"We will try to create more infrastructure to reduce overcrowding. There are several under-trials who are involved in bailable offences which have three to seven years of punishment, the officers will be instructed to ensure these under-trials are bailed out," said Director General of Prisons, Bipin Bihari.
JAILS IN THE STATE
Convicts: 8,624
Under-trials: 24,087
Detente: 99
Total: 32,810
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