Protecting Prisoners

15 May Protecting Prisoners

(GS PAPER 3, SOCIAL ISSUES)

SOURCE- THE HINDU

 Context:

 The supreme court in order directed The interim relief of eligible  Prisoners in order to issue the address of of overcrowding of prisons in view of the uncontrolled second surge in the raging pandemic

Key points:

• in 2020 the court had passed such an order to protect prisoners from first wave of covid
• the court had then order all states to take preventive steps as well as  constituted high powered committee to determine the class of prisoner who could be released on bail for parole for a specified period 
• The court continues its trend of seeking to protect prisoners as well as those guiding them from getting infected
• Recently supreme court also directed the high powered committee to consider release of fresh prisoners by adopting the guidelines of national legal service authority on the issue
• There has been significant initiative to prevent any uncontrollable spread within the congested jails, ranging from stopping the practice of transporting remand prisoners to court for period periodical explanation of custody and hearing to asking authorities to prepare readiness and response plan

prison statistics in India

•  the prison statistics India 2015 published by National crime record Bureau in 2019 highlight the plight of prisoners in India 
• India under trial population remains among the highest in the world

• The report highlights that at the end of 2016 there were four lakh people in prison and 68% for under trial 

-Khyati Khare