51 life convicts in Jharkhand jails to be released, CM Hemant Soren approves proposal

Ranchi, Aug 22 (IANS) Fifty-one prisoners serving life imprisonment in different jails of Jharkhand will walk free soon. Chief Minister Hemant Soren approved a proposal to this effect at a meeting of the State Sentence Review Board held on Friday.

The meeting, chaired by the Chief Minister, examined 103 cases of life convicts. After reviewing each case, the board reached a consensus on the release of 51 prisoners.

Officials said the decision was reached after taking the opinions of the concerned courts, Superintendents of Police, Jail Superintendents, and Probation Officers from the districts where the prisoners were tried and lodged.

CM Soren directed officials to carry out thorough verification of the family background, social and economic status of those being released, and prepare rehabilitation plans to ensure they earn a livelihood after they come out of jail.

He suggested that the released convicts be linked with skill development programmes and extended the benefits of government schemes such as dairy farming, poultry farming, and animal husbandry.

“It is our moral responsibility to connect these prisoners with the mainstream of society,” the Chief Minister said.

The CM instructed the Inspector General of Prisons to maintain detailed records of the released prisoners and asked district SPs and other officials to keep a continuous watch over their activities.

Special directions were issued for prisoners in poor health or suffering from mental illnesses. Officials were asked to prepare individual action plans and ensure proper medical and psychological support so that they can live a stable life after release.

Officials present at the meeting said that since 2019, the State Sentence Review Board has released 619 prisoners from different jails in Jharkhand, out of which the department has conducted physical verification of 558 prisoners.

Those present at the meeting included Additional Chief Secretary to the CM Avinash Kumar, Home, Prison and Disaster Management Department Principal Secretary Vandana Dadel, DGP Anurag Gupta, Principal Secretary-cum-Legal Advisor (Law) Niraj Kumar Srivastava, Inspector General (Prisons and Correctional Services) Sudarshan Prasad Mandal, Judicial Commissioner Anil Kumar Mishra, and other senior officials.

--IANS

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