Delhi govt looks to decongest prisons, may grant special parole to convicts

NEWDELHI: The AAP government informed the Delhi High Court on Monday that it has decided to decongest prisons to check the spread of coronavirus by providing convicts the options of special parole and furlough.

Parole and furlough mean a temporary release from jail of a prisoner. While the duration of parole is not deducted from period of sentence, the time spent on furlough is as it is a reward given for good conduct.

The Delhi government told a bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad that it was going to amend its prison rules to provide the options of special parole and furlough.

Another proposal mooted is to amend the prison rules and introduce the expression of ‘emergency parole’ which shall authorise the government to grant parole for up to eight weeks in one spell, in addition to the regular parole of one month, subject to conditions, Delhi government’s additional standing counsel Anuj Aggarwal said.

He said a notification would be issued within a day to amend the prison rules to include the new provisions.

Parole, under existing prison rules, means releasing a prisoner for not more than a month to maintain social ties after he or she has served minimum one year of their awarded jail term.

Under the rules, furlough is a leave granted as a reward for good conduct to a convict sentenced to five years or more jail term and who has undergone three years thereof. Once eligible, a prisoner is granted 49 days furlough each year.

Taking note of the submissions, the bench directed the Delhi government to take steps within two days to implement what it has proposed and disposed of a plea moved by four lawyers seeking decongesting of the prisons in view of the coronavirus pandemic. Tthe bench did not examine the matter further, saying a similar issue has been taken up by the Supreme Court .

According to the yet-to-be-notified decision of the Home Department of the Delhi government, special parole would be for a 60-day spell in case of emergent situations like an epidemic or a natural disaster or any other situation which warrants easing of the inmate population.

The proposed rule with regard to special furlough states it would be provided “to such category of prisoners and for such number of days as may be specified in the order, in the event of emergent situations like an epidemic or a natural disaster or any other situation which warrants easing of the inmate population”. PTI