(MENAFN- IANS) Nagpur, Dec 20 (IANS) The Maharashtra Assembly on Friday unanimously passed the Maharashtra Prisons and Correctional Services Bill, 2024 proposing to consolidate laws relating to regulation of prisons and correctional services and prisoners.
The Bill was tabled by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He told the house that the government will construct a high security prison for terrorists and other convicts in Mumbai.
Similarly, a detention centre will also be developed in Mumbai to keep the foreign nationals involved in various crimes including drug trafficking and illegal stay. The Bill was drafted on the lines of the Centre's Model Prisons Act, 2023 forwarded to all states.
Ruling and opposition members made a slew of suggestions for the improvement in correctional services of prisoners.
BJP legislator Atul Bhatkhalkar demanded the construction of a detention center in Mumbai for foreign nationals and the efforts should be stepped up to reduce the number of under trials from prisons.
NCP legislator Sana Malik demanded that the number of doctors per prison should be increased. He assured that the number of doctors will be increased in the wake of the number of prisoners in excess of prison capacities.
Shiv Sena-UBT legislator Aaditya Thackeray suggested the use of AI in the release of a list of the prisoners who were freed.
In his reply, Fadnavis said the government is not providing five star facilities in prisons but upgrading them in context with the human rights of the prisoners. He said the bill proposes to provide categories of prisons such as special prison, open prison for women, temporary prison, open colony and Borstal Institution.
Further, the prison segregation of various categories of prisoners will be done such as women, transgender, undertrials, convicted prisoners, high risk prisoners, habitual offenders, recidivist prisoners, young offenders and civil prisoners.
Fadnavis said that there are about 1,600 prisoners, who are still locked in various prisons despite getting bails, for want of bond money. He told the house that the district collector headed committee will examine such cases and free such prisoners after payment of bond money.
The Bill proposes to provide special provisions relating to women prisoners and transgender prisoners including separate wards in prison hospitals. Further, after care rehabilitation services to all needy prisoners released from a prison will be provided to ensure their rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
Further, the Bill proposes the use of technology for effective management and superintendency of prisons and for the safety and security of prisoners and prisoners which may include biometrics, closed circuit television, scanning and detection devices, radio frequency identification and video conference facilities.
The undertrial review committee will be constituted for every district for conducting periodical review of all undertrial prisoners in all the prisons and measures will be taken for speedy disposal of cases and make appropriate recommendations to the trial courts.
Moreover, the prison and correctional services will be constituted and the welfare funds for all officers and staff of the prisons and for prisoners will be established.
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