Prison dept requests cops to trace prisoners who jumped parole

The Maharashtra Prison Department has requested the state police to trace and nab 673 prisoners, who have jumped parole or furlough and remained untraceable in the last few years, an official said today.
"The prison department has prepared a list of 673 prisoners, who jumped parole and did not return to the jails. We are coordinating with the police for the re-arrest of these prisoners," Dr Bhushankumar Upadhyay, Additional Director General of Police (Prisons) said.
"We have sent letters to all the concerned Police Commissionerates and Superintendents of Police at district levels to help us trace these criminals," he added.

Maharshatra has at least 54 prisons, including nine central prisons, one open residential prison, 13 open prisons, one children correction centre and one women prison, the official said.
"Around 28,249 prisoners, including undertrials and more than 8,000 convicts, are facing imprisonment," he said.
As per the government policy, parole and furlough leaves are granted to the convicts only, he said.

"At least 1,652 prisoners were released on parole and furlough in the last few years. Of them, 673 prisoners did not return to the jails even after their leaves got over," the official said.
Some of them had been released even two decades back, Upadhyay said adding, "After finding that the addresses given by these prisoners were wrong or incorrect, the prison department requested the police to trace them," he said.

According to Upadhyay, in order to avoid such embarrassment in the future, the prison department has decided to take extra precaution while granting parole and furlough.