Model Prisons Act, 2023

Model Prisons Act, 2023
 

News: The Centre has finalised a comprehensive ‘Model Prisons Act, 2023’ to replace the pre-independence era ‘Prisons Act, 1894’
 

Background:
 Under the new Act, prisons will be viewed as reformative and correctional institutions, with a focus on transforming and rehabilitating inmates back into society as law-abiding citizens.
 

Need for new prison act:
 Outdated laws - The Indian Prison Act was enacted in 1894 and amended several times, but it fails to address modern-day prison challenges.
 Rehabilitation - The current prison system focuses more on punishment than rehabilitation leading to prisoners committing crimes again and again.
 Embraces Technology - The current prison system is largely manual and paper-based, leading to delays and inefficiencies. The new act focuses on use of technology.
 Issues such as Overcrowding in prisons, custodial deaths, torture were widely present. According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the occupancy rate of Indian prisons is over 117%, indicating severe overcrowding.
 Lack of healthcare facilities leading to prison deaths.
 Many Indian prison staff lack adequate training, leading to incidents of human rights abuses, corruption, and mismanagement.
 

Salient Features of New Model Prisons Act:
 It includes provision for security assessment and segregation of prisoners, individual sentence planning, grievance redressal,
 The establishment of a prison development board, and a focus on the physical and mental well-being of prisoners.
 The Act also includes provisions for the use of technology in prison administration, such as video conferencing with courts and scientific and technological interventions in prisons.
 It also includes provisions for the punishment of prisoners and jail staff for using prohibited items like mobile phones in jails.
 Additionally, the Act provides for the establishment and management of high-security jails, open jails (open and semi-open), and the protection of society from the criminal activities of hardened criminals and habitual offenders.
 The Act also provides for legal aid to prisoners and provisions for parole, furlough, and premature release to incentivise good conduct.
 The Act focuses on vocational training and skill development of prisoners to facilitate their reintegration into society.

Conclusion:
 The new model prisons act, 2023 will bring in more transparency and improvements in prison management and prisoners administration across the country.
 It focuses on the well-being of inmates and aims to ensure their successful reintegration into society.
Source – Mint, PIB