UP prisons to be known as “Reform Homes”

UP prisons to be known as “Reform Homes”

The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, made a significant decision to reform the prison system in the state in June of 2023. During a high-level meeting where he reviewed the conditions of the current prisons, Adityanath issued crucial guidelines that emphasised the importance of prisoner rehabilitation.

Key Points:

• One of the most notable guidelines was the renaming of Uttar Pradesh’s prisons to ‘Sudhaar Grah’ or Reform Homes.
• This move implied a shift from the current approach to prisons, as it went beyond the mere detention of prisoners and aimed to foster a culture of reform and rehabilitation.
• By renaming Uttar Pradesh’s prisons as ‘Reform Homes,’ Chief Minister Adityanath signalled his commitment to a novel approach to criminal justice that prioritised rehabilitation and reform above mere retribution.
• The chief minister also announced that the state government has introduced a new parole policy that will enable more inmates to be released from prison on parole, subject to certain conditions.
• The policy aims to reduce overcrowding in prisons and enable more prisoners to be rehabilitated into society.

Aim:

• The aim of this reform was to address the shortcomings of the current Acts governing prisoners, such as the Jail Act of 1894 and the Prisoners Act of 1900, which were outdated and did not align with changing times and a rehabilitative approach to prisoners.
• While the primary objective of these Acts was to maintain order and discipline among the detainees, the need for reform and rehabilitation had become more pressing.
• The Model Act Prison 2023: The Indian Government has recently formulated the Model Prison Act – 2023 which is highly beneficial for the reform and rehabilitation of inmates.
• This Model Act serves as a guideline for the preparation of a tailor-made Prison Act for each state, taking into account their specific requirements.

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