VIBHA VERMA
PANJIM: The State authorities are brainstorming whether the Open Jail concept in Goa should actually be set up considering that no prisoners, in the present circumstance, are reportedly in need of the facility nor has any of their families expressed the desire to live together within the campus.
However, bound by Supreme Court’s proposal for ‘open air prisons and humane treatment to inmates’ across all the states and union territories, the Goa government-formed committee is likely to opt for a portion of the two acres land at Curca-Merces or Sada sub-jail to create the home-like set-up. The sub-jail that saw high profile individuals like politician Francisco Pacheco, senior journalist Tarun Tejpal besides some notorious criminals lodged in different cells will soon be razed for building a new structure with the Public Works Department (PWD) declaring it unfit for repairs/revamp.
“In the present situation, there is no need for Open Jail. Prisoners hailing from other states are shifted to jails in their respective hometowns depending on the situation and approvals from both the state governments. Also, there is no request from any prisoner including the ones from Goa or their families to live together. Nevertheless, the committee headed by a Judge will take a final call if the concept is needed as well as its location,” said an official wishing anonymity.
The Prisons Department had recently proposed to the State Government to set up an ‘open jail,’ based on guidelines set by the Central government. “A prisoner will have his/her family living in the same campus but in different enclosures. There will be separate entry-exit points for the prisoner and his/her family; however, a detailed plan will be chalked out only after its approval,” said the official.
As per the concept followed in certain parts of the country, open prisons have relatively less stringent rules as compared to controlled jails and prisoners with good behaviour fulfilling certain norms prescribed in the prison rules are admitted in open prisons.
The data shared by the Central government reveals 17 states have open jails, with Rajasthan being the first and highest number of 29 open jails.
Two Karnataka inmates, lodged in Colvale Jail were recently sent to their state jails with government’s consent. “At times when the counterpart jails have no space to accommodate inmates hailing from their state, they continue to serve sentence here and this is when their family members find it difficult to meet them. Open jail can re-unite them, however, only after following the prison rules,” he explained.
