Open Prison in India
22
Feb
2018
Open prisons which is also recognized as minimum security prisons and open air camps etc. are the place where there is no confined boundaries i.e. prisoners are not confined behind the bars. It is the place where they enjoy comparative freedom of movement and efforts are made for the rehabilitation and self-improvement of the offender. The ultimate aim behind such open prisons is to mould the personality of the offender and helping them for self improvisation. Also the inmates in the open prisons are allowed to enjoy life with their family members and there are also given opportunities for earning their livelihood
The Rajasthan Prisoners Open Air Camp Rules, 1972 define open prison as, "prisons without walls, bars and locks." According to an Article Published in "The Hindu" There are in total 29 open jails in India, with 13 being in Rajasthan alone, the highest in any state. It has capacity of 1,332 prisoners. Statewide, there are 60 vacancies in the open camps, which are filled by inmates of Central and District Jails with a record of good conduct, Director-General of Prisons Ajit Singh told The Hindu. As per the Open Air Camp Rules of 1972, prisoners who have served a third of their term are eligible for shift to open jails. Mr. Singh said the concept of open prisons facilitated integration of prisoners into society. Living with family members and earning a livelihood made them confident.
The latest Article of Times of India2 dated20th December; 2017, reflected the intention of Hon'ble Supreme Court in Emphasizing the need for a change of mindset of governments to make jail are formative and rehabilitative place for people who are caught on the wrong side of the law, the Supreme Court has favored setting up of open jails where inmates are not confined to the boundaries of the jail and allowed to live with their family members outside the jail during the day and earn livelihood on their own. The court said that prisoners are forced to live an inhuman life in overcrowded jails with no basic facilities and many of them were committing suicide and dying unnatural death. It said that open jail system could pave the way to allow them to live with dignity and help them to foster a sense of self-worth in the prisoners.
1http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/for-prisoners-in-rajasthan-open-jails-provideliberation/article1 7409679.ece
2 https//timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/sc-favours-open-jail-as-a-reformative-measure-forprisoners-asks-centre-to-study-its-feasibility/articleshow/62 137822.cms