Srinagar: The administration of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday accorded sanction to the constitution of the committee to examine ‘Model Prisons and Correctional Services Act, 2023’.
Headed by Director General of Police (prisons), committee has been tasked with to study the provisions of the “Model Prisons and Correctional Services Act, 2023” and suggest changes and modifications wherever necessary alongwith “justifications, while keeping in view the comments received from various quarters on the draft Model Prisons and Correctional Services Act, 2023.
The committee has been also tasked with the study the provisions of “Model Prisons and Correctional Services Act, 2023”, with a view to suggesting changes as may be necessary in the provisions contained in the Prison Manual, 2022, according to an order a copy which lies with GNS.
The members of the Committee include representative from the PHQ not below the rank of SSP to be nominated by the DGP, J&K; representative from the CID not below the rank of SSP to be nominated by the Special DGP, CID, J&K; representative from the Department of Law, Justice & P.A. not below the rank of Addl. Secy. to be nominated by Secretary, Department of Law, Justice & PA and representative from the Prosecution Department not below Member the rank of DD(P) to be nominated by the DG, Prosecution.
Earlier in May, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) of India announced that it has finalised the preparation of the Model Prisons Act, 2023, to replace the existing 130-year-old colonial law in an attempt to shift the focus of incarceration from “retributive deterrence” to “reform and rehabilitation”.
Intending to provide guidance and address gaps in the existing prison laws, the 2023 Act seeks to bring in the use of technology in prison management, make provisions for the grant of parole, furlough, and remission, and introduce special provisions for women and transgender inmates.
