Prisoners aged above 60 to be released on emergency parole to decongest jail in Delhi

Jail inmates who are above 60 years of age will be granted emergency parole in view of the coronavirus pandemic, according to Delhi Prisons department.

A circular issued earlier this week stated that the convicts in this age group are more susceptible to COVID-19 and the emergency parole will be given to decongest the jails, officials said on Saturday.

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If an inmate has been convicted for less than five years and has already completed three months in jail, he or she is eligible for the emergency parole, the circular stated.

For jail term of more than five and up to 10 years, only those convicts will be released who have completed a stay of six months and their appeal is not pending in the court.

For prisoners having more than 10 years sentence and life convicts, except those having specific direction not to be released before a specific period or not to consider them for remission, they should have completed six months or more as a convict and overall period of custody undergone should be one year, it said.

The parole will be for eight weeks. “For emergency parole, the convict's behaviour in jail will also be considered. The convicts whose appeal against conviction is pending in High Court or Supreme Court will not be eligible for it,” said Sandeep Goel, Director General (Prisons).