Following a direction by the apex court to take action for reducing congestion in prisons, the District Level Committee overlooking affairs of the Mangaluru District Prison has initiated action to reduce the number of inmates.
As on Tuesday, there were 310 inmates in the Prison, which has the capacity to hold about 210. Majority of the inmates were undertrials.
The committee headed by Principal District and Sessions Judge Kadloor Sathyanarayanacharya visited the prison recently and had a detailed review of the conditions.
The committee found 29 inmates facing charges of offences punishable for seven or less years were eligible for interim bail. Of the 29, the committee granted bail to 12 persons on Tuesday. After they complied with the formalities, the prison staff arranged vehicle to drop them to places they reside in the district.
The committee found about 30 inmates who have obtained bail but continued to stay in the Prison as they have not complied with formality of producing surety. Action has been initiated to trace the advocates of these inmates and ask them to take steps for completion of formalities.
The prison authorities said as inmates were confined within the prison, there were less possibilities of they being infected with COVID-19. Production of inmates before the courts has stopped as the latter were on vacation. The meeting of family members with inmates has also been stopped.
Action has been taken to sanitise the entire prison area. All the prison staff and inmates, who move around in the premises often, have been provided with masks. Inmates have been made aware of social distancing, hand-washing techniques and sneeze/cough etiquettes. All those coming inside the prison are compulsorily made to wash their hands near the entrance gate, an official said.