Panaji, Goa: The Bombay High Court at Goa has intensified efforts to establish the state’s first open prison by initiating a two-pronged process that includes drafting a legal framework and studying successful open correctional institutions operating in other parts of the country.
Hearing a suo motu petition, a Division Bench comprising Justices Valmiki Menezes and Hiten Venegavkar observed the need for a structured approach to implementing an open prison system in Goa and identified the Sanganer Open Correctional Institution in Rajasthan as a model worth emulating.
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The court directed an expert committee constituted for the purpose to visit the Sanganer facility, along with other open prisons, to examine their functioning, management practices, rehabilitation programmes, and overall suitability for adoption in Goa.
The initiative aims to help formulate comprehensive prison rules and policies that would facilitate the establishment and operation of an open correctional facility in the state, in line with progressive prison reform measures.
By combining legal reforms with a practical study of established models, the High Court seeks to lay the foundation for a modern correctional system focused on rehabilitation and the reintegration of inmates into society.
The move is expected to play a significant role in advancing prison reforms in Goa while aligning the state’s correctional framework with evolving judicial and correctional best practices.
