Operation of Open Prison halted in Banke

In Ganapur of Banke, the structure of the open jail was prepared two years ago, but it has not been operational due to lack of procedures. A 36-room open prison building has been constructed two years ago at a cost of Rs. 1 crore an 75 lakhs. The two-and-a-half-story, 18-room administrative building built a decade ago in the open prison complex is dilapidated.

Jailer Ramkumar Sonkar, head of Banke District Jail, said that although the physical infrastructure required for an open jail has been built, the jail department has not been able to keep prisoners there due to lack of operational procedures.

According to him, an open prison has been established in Ganapur, Banke, based on the concept of keeping prisoners who have completed two-thirds of their imprisonment and who have improved their behavior in an open prison based on certain conditions. Due to the fact that the physical structure was built without the operating procedures of the open prison, the structure has now reached a state of neglect. Jailer Sonkar says that despite sending suggestions for the operation of open prisons, the necessary procedures and instructions have not come from the department.

The open prison has 36 rooms and two buildings where prisoners live. There are 6 toilets each for the prisoners in both the buildings. The prison building and administrative building built in the open prison complex have been left in charge of a watchman.

At the place where the structure was built, there are six bighas of open prison and two bighas of the then agricultural knowledge center. The policy of giving the land to prisoners kept in open prisons for cultivation was put forward. "An open prison has been built with the concept that prisoners work in agriculture all day long and come to the open prison in the evening to report and stay there," Jailer Sonkar said.

As the structures of the open jails are not being used, the Banke District Jail is forced to house twice more prisoners than its capacity. Jailer Sonkar said that there is a problem in managing 756 prisoners in a prison with a capacity of 350 people.