The Haryana government is working on a scheme to provide for Open Air Camp to house a limited category of prisoners left to serve less than two years of their sentences, said an official today.
The scheme is aimed at encouraging good conduct and self-discipline among the prisoners besides according them a chance during fag end of their jail terms to adapt to post-release social life and secure a degree of financial independence, said the state government's Home Department spokesperson.
As a first step towards implementing the scheme, the government has framed extensive rules, titled the Haryana Prisoners Open Air Camp Rules, 2018, providing for various norms, guidelines and eligibility criteria for shifting jail inmates to Open Air Camp, the spokesperson said.
The rules provide for establishment of Open Air Camps in vicinity of regular jails by the government on recommendation of state's prison director general, said the spokesperson, adding that such open jails would remain under the control of the superintendents of the regular jails in their vicinity.
Such Open Air Camps would have accommodations, including some family accommodations, complete with water supply, electricity and other basic amenities for housing prisoners left to serve less than two years of their terms.
A prisoner shifted to the Open Air Camp would arrange food, clothing and other requirements of daily routine for himself as well as his family out of his own earnings, the spokesman said in a release.
The prisoners would also be allowed to maintain their bank accounts personally or or through his family members and would retain the income generated or earned by them.
The spokesman said if a prisoner shifted to Open Air Camp is employed by the jail superintendent to perform any work, he would be paid minimum wages fixed by the government.
A prisoner shifted to Open Air Camp would keep his family members and no prisoner avail this chance unless his family members are ready to reside with him. A prisoner and his family member living in the Camp would maintain discipline, cleanliness and proper hygiene, he added.
The rules, however, provide that no prisoner with more than two years of unexpired sentence or below 30 years of age on the date of shifting would be eligible for the Open Air camp.
The others declared ineligible for Open Air Camp accommodation include hardcore prisoners, prisoners charge- sheeted or convicted in more than one case, undertrial prisoners and detenue or civil prisoners, the spokesperson said.
The prisoners, declared medically unfit for work or punished for any major prison offence within less than three years prior to shifting too will not be eligible to avail the Open Air Camp facility, said the spokesperson, adding the prisoners, who are not permanent residents of the state or whose families do not have permanent residences in the state too will not be eligible to the Open Air Camp accommodation.
The spokesperson said in shifting to Open Air Camps, the rules provide for giving preference to those prisoners who are artisans, barbers, tailors, craftsmen, doctors, paramedics, IT professionals; or those who have some skill or specialization in any field, besides the old prisoners.
The spokesman said the prison director general, after examining the recommendations of the screening committee and subject to the availability of accommodation, from time to time, would order shifting of eligible prisoners to the Open Air Camp.
"Every prisoner selected for admission to the Open Air Camp, would furnish a surety bond equal to the amount, as specified in the temporary release on parole or furlough," he said.
He added that prisoners would earn their livelihood by undertaking one or more work in sectors like agriculture, dairy farming, manufacturing industry, information technology or service sector; or any other work, permitted by the prison director general or superintendent from time to time.
The spokesman said a prisoner shifted to an Open Air Camp would be entitled to ordinary remissions at the scale of six days per month for his good conduct, discipline and work and would also be eligible for government remission or special remissions granted by prison superintendent or director general from time to time, as per the rules.
He said a prisoner in the Open Air Camp would be entitled for parole or furlough at par with other prisoners of regular prison, subject to his eligibility.
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