An ‘open prison’, under which select convicts will be allowed to go out of jail premises to work, will start within a month after such a proposal was approved by the Delhi lt Governor. “A proposal for starting an ‘open prison’ at Tihar complex and the rules governing it have been approved by Delhi’s lt Governor Najeeb Jung,” Director General (Tihar) Vimlaa Mehra said on Thursday. The new initiative aims to enhance reformative influence on inmates by increasing trust on them and to give them a chance to better earn livelihood. It is also to encourage other prisoners to maintain good conduct and do the awarded work with due diligence and devotion.
According to the guidelines approved by the l-G, prisoners who are found to be of good behaviour and are physically and mentally fit, have maintained excellent conduct inside the semi-open prison and have performed work allotted to them with due devotion and diligence and have completed two years in Semi-open prison will be considered for the proposal.
The semi-open jail was inaugurated in the prison premises June 11, 2013. Currently there are 38 prisoners lodged in the semi-open jail. As the facility is not even one year old, none of its inmates fulfill the criteria of completing two years in semi-open. Tihar officials said that they would write to the l-G to relax this criterion. The difference between a semi-open and pen jail is that in the latter, inmates where allowed to work inside Tihar premises only, but in open jail they will be allowed to go out and work.
The prisoners could be allotted work on the PWD projects, horticulture work or any other private work or at Tihar outlets at various places for which they will be eligible for minimum wages. Prisoners will have to furnish a surety and personal bond for their maintaining good conduct. The Director General (Prison) shall permit a convicted prisoner to work at a place outside Tihar campus beyond which the inmate shall not go, officials said. Any convicted prisoner, who will not abide by levels of prescribed discipline while working can be shifted back to semi-open or close prison and will be punished under rules.
