Delhi prisons put in place sanitation procedure to clear winter-wear sent by family members

new delhi: With winter rapidly setting in here, Delhi prisons are now gearing up with the required precautions and changes given the COVID-19 pandemic. In the latest development, jail authorities have allowed family members of undertrials to provide warm clothes, not unlike other years - but this time, the clothes will be put through the wringer for complete sanitation before the inmates are allowed access to them.

Director General (Tihar) Sandeep Goel told Millennium Post that they have started this process from October 29. According to the official, the jail administration gives winter clothes to convicts. "UTPs also get a set of clothes but they can also get clothes from outside (family)," the official said.

Earlier, during mulaqat with family, relatives used to bring winter clothes and it was handed over to inmates after proper checking. But after COVID-19 gripped the national Capital, Tihar jail authorities suspended the prisoners' meetings with their relatives as a precautionary measure to prevent the virus from spreading in the jails. In October, Tihar authorities resumed mulaqat. As per the official, the inmates will be able to meet their family members once a month and they have to book meetings in advance.

Explaining the procedure, the Tihar DG said, "Families are allowed to bring 2 sets of clothes for the inmates. Normally it is done at the time of physical mulaqat with pre-booking."

He added, "Though family physical mulaqat has also been opened it has been limited to once a month due to Covid-19. Given the onset of winters, we have now separately allowed the family members to come once and deposit 2 sets of clothes for their inmate."

According to the official, these clothes will be screened first at the CPRO and then also at the time of entry into the prison. "Clothes will have to be compulsorily washed before use by the inmate," the official added. According to data, there are around 2,000 convicts and 14,000 UTPs in Delhi's overcrowded jails.

According to data shared by the Delhi Prisons, on October 28, out of the 96 inmates who had tested positive for Covid-19, 86 had recovered, two had died and there were eight active cases. About 235 prison staff had also tested positive for the virus, of which 214 have recovered.

Given the pandemic, inmates were released to decongest jails. According to jail authorities, out of the 5,500 inmates released on interim bail in view of the pandemic, 3,337 inmates were released on the basis of criteria set by the High Power Committee (HPC) set up by courts. The prisoners were lodged in 16 jails across Delhi before they were released on bail amid the pandemic.

While the Delhi High Court had so far been extending this interim bail through blanket orders, it decided to stop this and directed all those released on interim bail during COVID-19 to surrender starting from November 2. But the Supreme Court on Thursday stayed parts of that order, in essence, ruling that over 2,600 inmates need not surrender from the date.