The majority of jails in Odisha is packed beyond their capacity and is overcrowded despite Orissa High Court’s direction for decongestion in view of the raging pandemic in the state.

In a step to decongest the jails, 974 prisoners have so far been released on bail or parole in accordance with courts’ order. Currently, the 87 jails in the State house 18,580 inmates as against the full capacity 19,824.

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The Amicus Curiae appointed by the Orissa High Court to oversee the living condition in the jails and correctional homes in its latest report found that most of the jails house prisoners more than the capacity.

However, the State’s prison administration maintained the decongesting of jails.

The Baripada Special Jail in Mayurbhanj district has capacity of 591, but houses 674 inmates.

Similarly, Berhampur Circle jail is encountering overcrowding problem with 964 inmates as against 743 capacity.

The Choudwar Jail in Cuttack district currently houses 1,134 inmates against its capacity of 961. The Koraput Circle jail and Sambalpur Circle jail are also packed with inmates beyond their capacities. The sub jails and reformatory homes also face similar predicament.

“Congestion in the Odisha jails is now a concern for the state at the face of Corona. Overfull jails are putting the life of prisoners and the watch and ward staff of jail at stake due to contamination of Coroana virus among the jail inmates”, the report noted.

The Orissa High Court had earlier directed the State government to expedite measures to decongest the overcrowded prisons and formulate a comprehensive action plan to keep the contagion at bay.

In view of the overcrowding, the court had also ruled that the government buildings may also be converted into temporary prisons to lodge the prisoners keeping in view virus infection outbreak in jails across the State.

According to State’s prison administration sources, at least 887 inmates were found to be positive from 1 May till 1 June. Of the 87 jails in the State, as many as 53 of them have far been COVID-free and have not reported a single positive case during the second wave of the pandemic.