March,20,2017:
Software will integrate all prison data across the country in an attempt to roll out long-pending prison reforms.
Modi Government is pushing for implementation of prison reforms across country and the release of thousands of undertrial prisoners languishing in the jails for longer than the number of years they would have been sentenced to if convicted.
Union Law Ministry has written to the Chief Secretaries of at least a dozen states to immediately migrate to the e-prisons, a software developed by Centre to integrate all the prison data across the country in an attempt to roll out long-pending prison reforms and ensure the release of undertrials booked for the petty crimes.
Out of an estimated 4.18 lakh prisoners across country ,67% or about 2.82 lakh are undertrials, many of them booked for petty crimes like theft. Less than 1.28 lakh in the jails are those who have been convicted and are serving their sentence.
The home ministry is closely working with the law ministry to implement prison reforms.
Gujarat, Jharkhand, Haryana, Odisha, Goa, Nagaland and Manipur are some of the States where maximum number of prisoners are undertrials.
Though 20 odd states and the Union Territories have already shifted to new software, there are some which are still reluctant to install e-prison software.
Special software developed by Centre was first test-checked successfully in Tihar jail as a pilot, but is yet to be installed by all the States in their prisons.
Software creates an alert the moment an undertrial completes half his prison term without bail for an offence he has been charged with.
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