To clear the congestion in jails, the Odisha government has released 7200 inmates who were under trial along with convicts on bail and parole. Also, at least 1160 inmates have been moved to less congested prisons.
“As many as 7,255 prisoners, including 389 convicts, have been released as a temporary measure to de-congest the jails by following a thorough judicial process since the third week of March”, said a senior official. The convicts are out on parole, and 6866 under trial prisoners were set free through bail allowed by the courts.
Prisoners with a maximum punishment of 10 years were given priority. Those who have already served at least five years’ sentence were considered for parole. This decision comes after the Supreme Court had issued a directive to the states in March to constitute high-level committees to consider releasing prisoners on parole or interim bail for offences entailing up to a 7-year jail term to decongest the jails in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
All prisons will now have temperature sensing infrared guns to conduct thermal screening of the jail employees as well as prisoners. The prison directorate has sanctioned funds for the same.