Tihar Prisons to keep cells unlocked for 12 hours every day

They have also decided to return all the belongings and earnings of deceased prisoners to their kin after tracking them down.

"Now prison cells will not be locked between 12 noon to 3 PM as was done earlier," Sunil Gupta, spokesperson, Tihar Prisons said. So the cells will be unlocked for 12 hours instead of nine hours every day.

As of now, inmates are allowed to come out at six in the morning and the cells remains unlocked till 12 noon and the same is followed between 3 PM to 6 PM. However, the cells would now close only at 6 PM once they are opened at 6 AM.

Gupta said that cells were kept locked for longer hours as they did not have the requisite manpower to keep a vigil on the inmates.

"However, with the staff now put on shift duty, it has become possible to unlock th cells for longer hours."

Along with this, the medical diet for the sick prisoners will now be inspected every month instead of a quaterly check, Gupta said.

Jail authorities have also decided to track down the family members of the deceased prisoners and hand them their belongings.

"Prisoners who died during their stay here at times have left behind their earnings and belongings with us. Many family members who were unaware of this never came back and claimed them. Now we have decided to track them down and return the belongings," he said.