State mulls to engage inmates for non-technical departmental jobs

Kolkata: The state Correctional Administration department is planning to engage the inmates of the four open-air correctional homes across the state in various non-technical jobs of the various departments to ensure an assured income for them.

The move will also help the department to keep track of the location of these inmates after they leave the correctional homes during the day.

The open-air correctional home is an open jail in the real sense of the term as the prisoners enjoy complete freedom of movement, as there is no system of day lock up. The gates are opened at 7 am in the morning and the night lockup is at 8 pm in the night. Hence, during this period, the prisoners are free to go anywhere they like and can pursue any vocation within or outside the correctional home premises. They have to return back at 8 pm.

"In the recent past, we have noticed that a section of the prisoners are not able to find a vocation after being allowed to go out. So, we are planning to involve them in various works of Panchayats, Horticulture, Public Works Department etc which are non-technical in nature. We have sent a proposal in this regard to the state Finance department and is awaiting its nod," Akhil Giri, state Correctional Administration minister said.

Giri added that once these prisoners are involved in government work, keeping track of them will also be relatively easy.

Recently, there has been an incident when a prisoner from an open air correctional home had not returned within the earmarked time. However, he was caught soon and put behind bars.

Presently there are four open air correctional homes in the state namely- Midnapore, Durgapur (West Burdwan), Raiganj (North Dinajpur) and Lalgola (Murshidabad).

There is a high-power committee that monitors the system of the prisoners being released till they return at night.

Convicts sentenced to imprisonment for a period of 7 years or more and have already served 2/3rd of their sentence and have maintained all along a good record inside prison are eligible for transfer to the open air correctional home after thorough screening and personal interview by a board constituted for such selection.