Prison reforms bill passed by Maharashtra assembly; high-security jail to come up in Mumbai

A high-security prison and detention centre will be set up in Mumbai, while a new prison being built in Pune will be a two-storey facility

The Maharashtra legislative assembly on Friday passed a bill seeking to reform the prison system in the state.

The Maharashtra Prisons and Correctional Services Act, 2024, is based on the Model Prisons Bill, 2023, sent by the Centre to the states, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the House. A high-security prison and detention centre will be set up in Mumbai, while a new prison being built in Pune will be a two-storey facility, he added. A plot of land has been finalized for the new prison in Mumbai, the CM said. As many as 1,600 accused who have got bail continue to stay in prison in the state due to the lack of money to pay for bail bonds, he informed.

The bill provides for categories of prisons such as special prisons, open prisons for women, temporary prisons, and open colonies. Open prisons and open colonies will help with the rehabilitation and reintegration of former jail inmates after their release, Fadnavis said. The bill also provides for the constitution of a "prison and correctional prison force." A welfare fund for prison staff and another fund for the welfare of prisoners is also an important feature of the legislation, the CM said. It also provides for better segregation of various categories of prisoners and their special needs such as women, transgenders, under-trial prisoners, convicts, high-risk prisoners, and habitual offenders.

The bill also makes provisions for a grievance-redressal mechanism for prisoners, after-care rehabilitation services, and a separate women’s ward in prison hospitals. An undertrial review committee will be set up in every district for periodical review of all undertrial prisoners to take measures for the speedy disposal of cases and make appropriate recommendations to trial courts.

Technology, including biometrics, closed-circuit television (CCTV), scanning and detection services, Radio Frequency Identification, and video conference facilities, will be used for effective management and supervision of prisons and to ensure the safety of inmates, the CM said. The entire prison administration will be computerized, the chief minister said.

Congress MLA Nana Patole and Sanjay Kute (BJP) said prison reforms should not lead to a situation where criminals would like to remain in jail. There should be no lavishness, they said. Fadnavis assured that there would be no "five-star facility," adding that the reforms aim to protect the human rights of jail inmates. Kute said social health will be affected if criminals get lavish treatment in jail.

Aaditya Thackeray (Shiv Sena UBT) said artificial intelligence should be used to create a digital footprint of prisoners so that care can be taken after a prisoner walks out of jail. Fadnavis said the use of AI for this purpose will take time. Sana Malik (NCP) said the right to health is part of the right to life. Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail has the capacity to accommodate 804 inmates, but around 3,000 prisoners are lodged there, she claimed. Fadnavis conceded that the number of doctors available is small in view of the number of prison inmates. "We will focus on reducing the number of undertrials," the chief minister said.