COVID-19: MP amends Prisoner's Leave Rules to decongest jails

The Madhya Pradesh government has amended the MP Prisoner's Leave Rules, 1989, allowing prisoners to be on parole for a maximum of 60 days. This step is being taken to decongest jails in the wake of Covid-19 outbreak.

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], Mar 30 : The Madhya Pradesh government has amended the MP Prisoner's Leave Rules, 1989, allowing prisoners to be on parole for a maximum of 60 days. This step is being taken to decongest jails in the wake of Covid-19 outbreak.

Some other state governments have taken a similar step.

Punjab government decided to release 6000 prisoners on parole facing a sentence of less than seven years in jails across the state.

The Haryana government decided to release convicted prisoners with up to seven years of sentence on parole or bail.

This comes at a time when Supreme Court on Monday asked all state governments to release undertrial prisoners, who are facing charges attracting less than seven years imprisonment, to reduce overcrowding of jails amid the ongoing COVID-19 crises.To contain the spread of the deadly virus, social distancing is vital as it helps in breaking the chain of virus transmission.According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, confirmed COVID-19 cases have risen to 1071 in the country.

( With inputs from ANI )