Protecting prisoners(The Hindu, GS-2, Governance)

13 May Protecting prisoners(The Hindu, GS-2, Governance)

Context:- In india according to some reports, jail occupancy is 139% and more than 65% prisoners are undertrail. Due to COVID-19 spread the situation is becoming more grim and the supreme court took a stand and asked government to provide Bail or parole to those who are eligible for the specified period so that they can be saved.

Why this situation:-

• • State and central government spend very less money on jail reforms.
  • Pathetic situation of Jails as they been in continuation since colonial era.
  • Colonial era’s laws are still in the force which are curative rather than reformative.

• Situation in judiciary is not good

• • Number of judges is less.
  • Investigating team is either not professional or has inadequate resources so they always buy time from the judiciary.
  • Higher judiciary unnecessary intervention.
  • Lack of court management system.
  • Lack of proper infrastructure.
• Flaws in the criminal justice system as lightened by the malimath committee.
• Enforcement agencies don’t do their duty properly i.e. corruption in the police.
• Lack of judiciary and police accountability.
• Problems with the Bail system

Why we must protect the prisoner?

• They have the right to life according to the article 21.
• It is the state duty that it must provide life joying conditions to each and everyone.
• Jail is a reformative step so that a person again can be socialise.
• Reformation rather elimination.

What we must do.

• Follow the malimath committee recommendation.
•  norms it had laid down in Arnesh Kumar vs State of Bihar (2014)
• Jail Manual 2016.
• Increase the judge and population ration.
• Revisit the colonial laws.
• Educate the people about their right and provide the legal aid as in the DPSP.

Download Daily Current Affairs of 13th May 2021

Swarn Singh

Plutus IAS Current Affair Team Member