5 times spike in calls made by prisoners to home from Ghaziabad, Noida jails since COVID outbreak

There has been a five-time rise in the number of average daily phone calls made by prisoners lodged in jails of Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar districts since the coronavirus outbreak, officials said.

The significant increase in phone calls comes as jail authorities relaxed norms with a view to help prisoners mentally cope with the situation due to the pandemic, the officials said.

Authorities have also released a combined over 1,500 inmates either on bail or parole to avoid overcrowding in the two jails, while precautionary measures like social distancing were being practiced by others languishing in jails, they said.

The two districts adjoining Delhi in western UP have together recorded 125 COVID-19 positive cases -- 30 in Ghaziabad and 95 in Gautam Buddh Nagar -- so far, according to figures released by the state government on Saturday.

Before the situation due to coronavirus had reached alarming proportions, there would be 50 to 60 phone calls by prisoners every day on an average. But as the situation started worsening, the daily average phone calls have now reached over 300 in both the jails, Vipin Mishra, the superintendent of Dasna as well as Luksar jail, told PTI.

The relaxation on phone calls was given by prison authorities so that inmates could speak more with their families and relatives and speak their mind to them. They should be able to mentally cope with the situation, whatever news and information they get about the pandemic and not get gloomy or depressed, Mishra said.

The superintendent said 3,864 people are currently lodged in the Dasna jail, while the Luksar jail has 2,301 inmates, even as more than 1,500 prisoners have been released since the outbreak of the deadly virus in the country.

"The Dasna prison has released 1,012 inmates -- 946 on interim bail and 66 on parole - so far, while the Luksar jail has released 535 inmates -- 522 on interim bail and 13 on parole, the officer said.

Bail is given to people who under-trial in any case and lodged in jail, while parole is offered to those already convicted in a case, he explained.

Meanwhile, he said, inmates and official staff in both the jails were practicing preventive measures like social distancing and hand sanitation against coronavirus.

All general guidelines, advisories and protocols issued by the government are being followed and caution being taken during this situation, Mishra added.