Women convicts living with their minor children in prisons may find the COVID-19 scare turning to their favour.
Children below six years are considered minors in jail parlance. The mothers of such kids, who are spending their life in prisons, could walk to freedom for 50 days by making use of the amnesty scheme of the government. Imprisoned mothers with minor kids staying outside may also get a relaxation in their prison life.
The State government may extent the 50-day parole scheme to such women prisoners of the State. The initiative comes as part of the efforts to de-congest jails in the wake of the pandemic and to prevent the inmates from becoming sick.
Women convicts aged above 50 years may also benefit from the proposal.
Pregnant women, who are also cooling their heels in the prison cells, could take a 50-day break, if a proposal mooted by the Prisons Department gets the government nod. However, primary indications are that no pregnant women are housed in the jails. The State has around 120 women inmates in its jails.
The State government is understood to have decided to release male prisoners aged above 60 years on a 45-day parole. The prisoners who were under various medical treatment as inpatients in the jails and other medical facilities could benefit from the scheme. The Hindu had earlier reported that the Prisons Department had moved such a proposal for releasing the elders considering the fact that they were vulnerable to the viral disease.
The Prisons Department was awaiting the government order on the release of such prisoners, said S. Santhosh, DIG (Prisons) Head Quarters.
The State government may fix the criteria for the selection of beneficiaries of the scheme. The details of the scheme would be known only when an order is issued. If approved, around 350 persons could walk out only to return to the jails after the parole period, Mr. Santhosh said.
The government may decide shortly on a scheme to remit the jail term of prisoners, who have completed two-third of the period behind the bars. The remaining imprisonment period of such prisoners, which could come to an end in a couple of months, could be waived-off, sources said.
Earlier, the government had extended the parole period of 105 prisoners, who were out on bail before the amnesty scheme, by 15 days. These prisoners need to come back only on April 30, sources said.
