3-Member Committee For Jail Reforms: Jharkhand High Court Directs State To Improve Prison Facilities, Sets 10-Day Committee Deadline

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The Jharkhand High Court directed the state government to constitute a three-member committee within 10 days to monitor jail conditions, inmate welfare, and facilities across prisons. The order was passed during suo motu proceedings following Supreme Court directions.

The Jharkhand High Court has directed the state government to set up, within 10 days, a three-member committee to monitor the condition of inmates and the facilities provided to them in jails across Jharkhand.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice M.S. Sonak and Justice Rajesh Shankar was hearing a public investigation initiated suo motu. The matter had been taken up on the Supreme Court’s directions to oversee inmate welfare in the jails of different states, with monitoring to be carried out by the respective High Courts.

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The High Court instructed the state to file a compliance report by June 24, when the case will be listed again.

The Bench ordered that the committee include:

1. a representative to be nominated by the Executive Chairman of the State Legal Services Authority,
2. the Secretary of the Home, Jail and Disaster Management Department (or his representative, not below the rank of an Additional Secretary), and
3. a senior prison police officer, not below the rank of DIG, to be nominated by the Home Department.

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When the matter was called, the state sought an adjournment, stating that a draft committee to look into inmate facilities was in the process of being finalized. The High Court did not accept the request. It observed that the Supreme Court had already determined the composition of the committee and that there was no requirement for the state to prepare a draft committee.

The High Court noted that it had previously issued directions in 2017 to ensure that prisoners in jails across the country are entitled to their basic rights and needs. In light of the Supreme Court’s verdict, the Jharkhand High Court initiated the PIL on January 8, 2018, and has been monitoring jail conditions and inmate welfare since then.

The Supreme Court had also expressed concern regarding medical facilities for inmates and the availability of rehabilitation schemes, recreation, and counselling services.

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