Pioneer News Service
Ranchi
The State government on Thursday approved the premature release of 26 life convicts after an extensive review of 79 cases at a meeting of the Jharkhand State Sentence Review Board chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren. The meeting also decided to initiate the process for establishing open jails in all divisions of the state by directing officials to identify suitable land and submit proposals.
The meeting, held at the Chief Minister’s Residential Office on Kanke Road in Ranchi, reviewed the cases of prisoners serving life sentences in various jails across the state. The Board considered 79 cases in total, including 37 fresh recommendations and 42 cases that had been rejected in previous meetings but were taken up for reconsideration.
After detailed deliberations, the Chief Minister and senior officials approved the release of 26 prisoners. The review covered eligibility criteria, conduct of inmates, duration of imprisonment, legal provisions, court observations, and reports submitted by district police superintendents, jail superintendents and probation officers before arriving at the final decision.
During the meeting, Soren directed officials to expedite the process of setting up open jails in every division of Jharkhand. He instructed the concerned departments to identify land and submit proposals to facilitate the establishment of the correctional facilities.
Emphasising the government’s reform-oriented approach, the Chief Minister said the release of eligible prisoners should be accompanied by adequate support for their rehabilitation and reintegration into society. He stressed that the government accords equal importance to justice, human sensitivity and corrective measures while dealing with prison reforms.
Soren instructed officials to ensure that prisoners released on the recommendation of the State Sentence Review Board receive necessary assistance for rehabilitation, social reintegration and leading a dignified life. He said individuals released from prison should be given an opportunity to reconnect with society in accordance with the law, adding that such measures would promote both personal reform and social harmony.
The Chief Minister also directed officials to prepare a database of mentally ill inmates currently lodged in prisons as well as those who have already been released. He asked the administration to ensure that eligible individuals receive benefits available under social security schemes.
The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Avinash Kumar, Director General of Police Tadasha Mishra, Principal Secretary-cum-Legal Adviser of the Law (Justice) Department Neeraj Kumar Srivastava, Inspector General of Prisons and Correctional Services Sudarshan Prasad Mandal, Judicial Commissioner Anil Kumar Mishra and other senior officials.
