MP to Rechristens Jails As Correctional Institutions on Oct. 2

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh government is set to rechristen jails in the state as prison and correctional institutions on October two, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti, with the enforcement of a new legislation in this regard on the day.

The Madhya Pradesh Sudhartmak Sevayen Evam Bandigrah Adhiniyam, 2024, which saw passage in the outgoing budget session of the state Assembly, will come into force on October two, paving the way for the renaming of the jails in the state.

The draft Bill was prepared on the lines of Centre’s Model Prison Act, 2023, a senior officer in the law department said here on Friday.

Following this, the Central Jail would be rechristened as Central Prison and Correctional Institution.

Similarly, the District Jail, the Sub-Jail, and the Open Jail would be renamed as District Prison and Correctional Institution, Sub-Prison and Correctional Institution and Open Correctional Institution respectively.

The jail officials would be called prison correctional services officials.

The Bill, passed in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, provides for establishing a Prison and Correctional Institution Development Board.

The Bill paves the way for the computerisation of the prison and correctional institution administration for the integration of the database with the Union government’s computerised system as well as seamless sharing of information with the Union government.

The Bill also provides for state-of-the-art tech interventions to detect and prohibit the use of unauthorised wireless communication in jails. Biometric identification equipment would be installed in the jails to keep a vigil on the inmates.

The new legislation will also address the overcrowding in jails and help jail officials understand the psychology of the criminals they deal with in the prisons.

There are around 50,000 prisoners in 132 jails.

The overall capacity of these jails is 35,000.