HC directs govt to implement time-bound prison reforms

Raipur: The Chhattisgarh high court has directed the state govt to put in place a coordinated and time-bound mechanism to implement the Supreme Court of India's recent directions on prison reforms, particularly the establishment and expansion of Open Correctional Institutions (OCIs.)HChas registered asuomotu public interest litigation (PIL) to address prison overcrowding and the establishment of OCIs in the State. This move follows a Supreme Court of India's Feb 26 judgment, which mandated nationwide reforms to ensure humane conditions for inmates.A division benchcomprisingchief justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal heard the matter on April 7. The court has directed the State government to ensure immediate compliance with the apex court's directives, which aim to transform prisons into reformative and rehabilitativecentres.SC, in the case of Suhas Chakma v. Union of India & Ors., noted that Chhattisgarh is among the states that currently lack functioning OCIs. HC has now instructed the State to undertake a feasibility assessment forestablishingsuch facilities.These open prisons or semi-open barracks are intended to provide eligible prisoners with a transition toward social reintegration. The court noted that excessive prison populations infringe upon fundamental rights under Article 21 of the Constitution.The high court Chief Justice has directed the State to constitute a monitoring committee for the management of OCIs within four weeks. This committee, headed by the executive chairman of the State Legal Services Authority, will oversee identification and transfer of eligible prisoners to open facilities, infrastructure development and land allocation for new OCIs, expansion of existing prison capacity to include semi-open barracks, and ensure gender-sensitive access, specifically addressing the under-representation of women in reformative institutions. The chief Secretary of Chhattisgarh has been directed tosubmita formal reply viaaffidavitbefore the next hearing.The Supreme Court has already appointed a high-powered committee, chaired by retired Justice S Ravindra Bhat, to formulate national common minimum standards for these institutions. This includes guidelines on fair wages, healthcare, and vocational training for inmates. The State mustsubmitits first status report to thehighcourt by Aug21,2026.The matter is scheduled for further hearing on 31 Aug 2026.