Premature Prison Release / Odisha plans early release for elderly and ailing prisoners

Bhubaneswar, Nov 10: In a significant move aimed at streamlining the premature release of elderly and critically ill prisoners, the Odisha government has constituted a state-level committee to review and revise the existing 2022 guidelines governing early release from prisons.

The committee has been formed by the Home Department to assess the effectiveness of the current policy, recommend necessary amendments, and draft a new framework that ensures a more transparent, humane and efficient process for eligible inmates.

The committee will be chaired by the Principal Secretary of the Home Department or a designated representative. Its members will include the secretaries of the Law, Health, Social Empowerment, and Information Technology departments, along with the Member Secretary of the State Legal Services Authority.

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The Additional Director General of Prisons will serve as the committee's convenor.

Officials have set a target for the committee to submit its recommendations by the first week of December.

A key focus of the committee will be to define eligibility criteria for the premature release of terminally ill and elderly prisoners.

It will also frame guidelines for the constitution of medical boards, assessment of inmates' health conditions, and arrangements for post-release medical care and rehabilitation.

In addition, the panel will examine ways to integrate the entire process with the e-Prisons portal, enabling digital monitoring, data collection, and regular updates of eligible inmates.

The initiative is expected to bring greater transparency and efficiency to the system while ensuring that humanitarian concerns are adequately addressed.