Finally, Jharkhand's first 'Open Jail', waiting since the past two years after its construction, is to be inaugurated by Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday. The 'Open jail', constructed inside the premises lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Central Jail in Hazaribagh, is to accommodate some 25 inmates primarily, with good track records, selected as per the jail manual.
The jail officials have been working hard for the final round of preparations for the inaugural ceremony. "We are doing our best for the preparations of the inaugural session of the open jail and final rounds of preparations like painting and furnishing are being done," said Jailer of the Hazaribagh jail CP Suman. According to Sunam, the number of inmates will be increased later who will also be allowed to live their family members in the independent cells they are being given.
The 'open jail' has the unique feature of independent cells having a room, a verandah and in independent kitchen where they can prepare food of their own. It is an initiative by the Government so that the jail inmates feel themselves neglected from the society and give them a chance to identify themselves with the mainstream.
"The jail premises have been divided into clusters and with eight cottages in each of them. An inmate can stay there with his wife and minor children in the cottage which also houses a bedroom with balcony, kitchen, bathroom and a small courtyard," said the jailer. The rehabilitation center has better infrastructural facilities unlike other regular jails, he added.
As many as 13 tube wells have been sunk inside the open jail along with six deep boring, to be used by the inmates. To meet its power requirement, a 200 KVA transformer has also been installed inside the centre. "This is an initiative to add the jail inmates with the mainstream and hence an arrangement has also been made in the jail premises to accommodate the family along with their minor children," said the jailer.
To give it a human touch, it has also been renamed as Open jail-cum-Rehabilitation Centre. Some 100 jail inmates with good track records while serving their sentences in jail from across the state have been selected as per the provisions in the jail manual. According to the guidelines of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), it is mandatory for every state to establish an open jail. This will be the first ever jail of its kind for both the states of Jharkhand and Bihar.
Though construction work was completed some two years back, the jail was awaiting its opening as the jail manual for open jail was not being framed. "Since there were no separate jail manual for the open jail in the State, it was not being opened for the last two years even after the completion of the construction work," added the jailer.
An estimated cost of Rs 3 crore has been spent for the construction of this open jail. It has been set up on the 15 acres of land also having provisions for earning for the inmates. Opportunities of earning through agricultural and its subsidiary works will also be given to the inmates to support their livelihood and also support their families inside the jail.
The jail administration will provide technical training and even assist them in searching proper job for them. There are also provisions for the open jail inmates to go out for limited hours to earn their livelihood. Jharcraft has come in to extend its support for the jail inmates and has decided to provide 30 reeling machines which are to be run on solar power for preparing knitting yarns. These yarns will be further used for manufacturing clothes in the Central jail.
30 charkhas (handloom) have also been provided by the Jharkraft for preparing handmade clothes. Though this plan had been mooted out some eight years back, construction work of this open jail got completed only in 2011.
Since then, it was waiting for its opening for want of proper guidelines from the Government and non-completion of the infrastructural facilities like road, power and drinking water. Paving the way for the opening of the rehab centre, Hemant Soren government issued notification to open it on the occasion of the 14th foundation day of State.