Patna: Dozens of prisoners in Bihar received a unique gift on the occasion of India’s Independence Day — they were allowed to stay with their families in an open jail with modern facilities.
India celebrated its 72nd Independence Day on Wednesday.
Authorities said many of the prisoners considered for the programme were old and had been serving jail terms for years, after being convicted in serious criminal cases.
However, they were given the chance to spend time with their families keeping in view their good conduct in jail.
The prisoners were a shifted to an open jail located in Buxur district, some 130km south-west of Patna, on the recommendation of an advisory committee headed by Mithilesh Mishra.
Buxur jail, the state’s first open jail, has a total capacity to house 104 inmates.
Right now 55 inmates are staying there, thus leaving the room for the remaining 49 prisoners. Here the prisoners have the facility not only to stay with their families but also to run their own business.
The open jail, inaugurated in 2012, is said to be the most modern among the 26 jails in 13 Indian states.
It offers certain facilities to prisoners, such as a one-room flat for inmates to stay with their families, LPG connections from Indian Oil Corporation to cook food and well-equipped gymnasium.
Authorities said the main objective behind setting up the open jail was to encourage good conduct and self-discipline among the inmates. Most of the inmates lodged in this open jail are murder convicts.
