The Uttar Pradesh government ordered the release of around 11,000 convicts and undertrials housed in 72 jails of the state to ease overcrowding and thereby prevent the spread of coronavirus.
A high-level committee headed by senior judge of Allahabad High Court, Justice Pankaj Kumar Jaiswal, and two members, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi and DG (Jails) Anand Kumar made the recommendation to the government which was approved by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday.
Of the prisoners to be released are 8,500 under- trials and 2,500 convicts.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had ordered all states to consider the release of convicts on parole, whose punishment was not of more than seven years, so that the jails could be saved from overcrowding to prevent the spread of virus among prisoners.
As per officials, undertrials would be given bail for eight weeks on personal bonds while the convicts would be given parole for eight weeks in a similar manner.
Presently, against total capacity of 60,580 in 72 jails of the state, over one lakh inmates are lodged there. The most overcrowded jails are Jaunpur with 1,221 inmates against a capacity of 320, Lalitpur with 433 inmates against capacity of 122, Saharanpur with 1,650 inmates against capacity of 533, Shahjahanpur with 1,407 inmates against capacity of 511 and Budaun with 1,411 inmates against capacity of 529.
Jails with low occupancy are Gautam Buddha Nagar with 2,795 inmates against a capacity of 3750, Kasganj with inmates 760 against capacity of 1,050, Ambedkarnagar with 264 inmates against capacity of 971, Chitrakoot with 593 inmates against capacity of 862 and Model Jail in Lucknow with 463 inmates against its capacity of 600 prisoners.
With the release of prisoners on bail or parole, jail authorities would be able to ensure safe social distancing as recommended to prevent the spread of coronavirus.