KATHMANDU, AUGUST 1
The Prison Bill, 2019, passed by the House of Representatives last week has envisioned major reforms in prison administration.
It ensures special provisions of accommodation, food and health facilities for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers doing time in jail. As per the Bill, if a woman prisoner in the second trimester of her pregnancy wishes to go to her house or somewhere else inside the country for medical care, other health services and child delivery, the prison administration will grant permission against bank guarantee as per prescription act, on the condition that she returns to the prison 60 days after childbirth.
It also states that every woman inmate shall have the right to safe motherhood and reproductive health.
However, no pregnant woman sentenced to jail for life and convicted of heinous crime shall be entitled to such facility.
A woman on parole shall be considered as having served her sentence during the conditional freedom and shall not be required to do additional time in jail. However, if a pregnant woman temporary released on parole fails to report to prison within the stipulated time, security personnel shall be deployed to produce her before the jail, besides confiscating her bank guarantee, says the bill.
Likewise, the bill requires the prison administration to pay special attention and give care to inmates with physical and mental disabilities, and those suffering from terminal diseases and having attained the age of 65 years. It also empowers jailers to develop and enforce code of ethics to be observed by staffers, security personnel and inmates.
As per the bill, a jailer may enforce code of ethics to maintain law and order, security and discipline in a prison. Anyone, who breaches the code of ethics, shall be liable to fine not exceeding Rs 10,000, it reads. A person not satisfied with the fine imposed on him/her may move the concerned district court within 35 days of such a decision. The bill stipulates a provision requiring at least one woman cop while deploying a police team to ensure the security of female inmates. A jailer may request the concerned provincial government or DAO to deploy necessary police staff.
A version of this article appears in the print on August 2, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
