Inmates, staff in jails taking precautions, adhering to social distancing amid COVID-19: Delhi prison authorities

New Delhi [India], April 8 (ANI): Jail authorities in the national capital have told the High Powered Committee that prisoners, staff and others working in prisons are taking necessary precautions and are adhering to social distancing.
At a meeting held through video conferencing, Sandeep Goel, Director General (Prisons) Delhi, informed the High Powered Committee headed by its chairperson Justice Hima Kohli, Judge, Delhi Delhi High Court and Executive Chairperson, Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) that the bathing area, kitchen area and jail telephone area are being cleaned and sanitised on regular basis, read a statement.
He further informed that inmates are being apprised about the necessary precautions - Do's and Don'ts through 'public address system' installed in jails.
DG (Prisons) informed that the measures like isolation wards, quarantine of new prisoners as well as a preliminary examination of the prisoners for COVID-19 are being regularly followed as per the resolution adopted at the last meeting.
Goel further informed the committee that on an average, 25-30 new inmates are being sent to jail these days. DG (Prisons) stated that a separate ward in Jail Number 2 at Tihar and in Jail Number 13 at Mandoli have been carved out for the new male inmates above 21 years of age.
He said that all such new inmates shall be kept only in these two wards of Jail Number 2 and 13 at Tihar and Mandoli, respectively. Whereas, for new women inmates, separate isolation wards have been created in Jail Number 6 while mew male inmates between the age of 18 to 21 years would be kept at Jail number 5, Tihar jail.
This is done in order to make sure that the new inmates do not intermingle with those already inside, the statement added.
Goel further informed that in terms of the resolutions adopted in the previous meeting, out of the in-house manufacturing of soap cakes, liquid soaps, phenyl, masks, and sanitisers, adequate number of these materials have been sent to JJBs/ Observation Homes, as per the requirement received from them, besides the same being put to use in all the jails.
DG (Prisons) has assured that the jail administration shall continue following these precautions and resolutions, so as to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the jail premises.
The statement said that the committee is satisfied with the steps being taken by DG (Prisons) and directed him to continue doing the same.
As per DG (Prisons), the number of such convicts eligible for "Emergency Parole" was about 1,500. However, as per the report submitted, only 650 convicts have been released so far.
The Chairperson of the committee has cautioned DG (Prisons) and Principal Secretary (Home) that any delay in the release of the eligible convicts on "Emergency Parole" so as to complete the exercise of decongestion of jail, will make the entire effort futile.
DG (Prisons), as well as Principal Secretary (Home), assured that they shall expedite the process of grant of "Emergency parole" to the eligible convicts.
The committee was further informed that "interim bail" has already been granted in approximately 823 cases and it is expected that in a day or two, 100 more under trial prisoners would be granted "interim bail" on the basis of applications filed/pending for consideration, before the concerned courts.
The committee has been apprised that on the basis of criteria adopted vide meeting dated March 28, the Jail population has come down from 17,552 as on March 25 to 16,179 as on April 7. On complete implementation of the other relaxation criteria, it would further come down to about 15,500.
It was also informed that on the basis of criterion adopted for release of UTPs /Remand Prisoners on "interim bail", the same would further come down to 14,500 in a week's time. (ANI)