The Supreme Court has formed a Committee on Prison Reforms chaired by former apex court judge, Justice Amitava Roy, to examine the various problems plaguing prisons in the country, from overcrowding to lack of legal advice to convicts to issues of remission and parole.
Issues in Prisons:
- Overcrowding in prisons
- Unnatural deaths of prisoners
- Gross inadequacy of staff
- Lack of staff
Terms of reference:
- Apart from the above four issues, committee will comprehensively examine and respond to the dire necessity of reforms in prisons.
- Committee to examine the extent of overcrowding in prisons and correctional homes and recommend remedial measures, including an examination of the functioning of Under Trial Review Committees, availability of legal aid and advice, grant of remission, parole and furlough.
- The panel would also probe the reasons for violence in prisons and correctional homes and recommend preventive measures.