PANAJI
The High Court of Bombay at Goa has granted the committee constituted to draft amendments to the Goa Prison Rules, 2021, an additional week to complete its recommendations for introducing a legal framework for open correctional institutions (OCI) in the State.
Hearing the suo motu petition on compliance with the Supreme Court's directions to set up OCI, the Division Bench of Justices Valmiki Menezes and Hiten Venegavkar directed that the committee appointed by its June 18 order should complete its report and place its suggested amendments to the existing Rules on record.
The Bench further directed that the report should also be placed before the Monitoring Committee within the same period. The matter has now been posted for further hearing on July 15.
The direction follows the High Court's ongoing exercise to create a legal and administrative framework for Goa’s first open correctional institution after finding that the existing Rules contain no provisions governing the establishment or functioning of such facilities.
Last month, the Court initiated a two-pronged process to advance the proposal. In addition to constituting a legal committee to draft amendments to the prison rules, it expanded an expert committee tasked with studying successful open-prison models across the country.
The Bench had identified the Sanganer OCI in Rajasthan as a model facility from which Goa could draw lessons, observing that it offered the most valuable insights for developing an open prison system in the State.
In addition, the Home Department was instructed to organise a study visit to other OCIs, including those at Buxar in Bihar and Yerawada in Pune, with the State bearing the travel and related expenses.
