Date:15/02/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/02/15/stories/2008021553230400.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Third open air prison coming up in Sivaganga district

A. Subramani

State has already identified 100 acres

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu is to have its third Open Air Prison shortly. The prison, first of its kind for the southern part of the State, is to come up at Maravangulam near Kalaiyarkovil in Sivaganga district.

According to sources, the State has already identified 100 acres for the new Open Air Prison and issued entrance order in favour of the Prison Department. A sum of over Rs. 1.25 crore too has been allocated for initial construction works.

There are two Open Air Prisons in Tamil Nadu – one at Singanallur in Coimbatore and the other at Five Poonga in Salem. Another Open Air Prison, functioning in Thanjavur, had to be closed when the Tamil University was established.

Open Air Prisons are unique as they have only fence and not a pucca compound wall, said V. Kannadasan, Special Public Prosecutor for Human Rights Court. As a model correctional institution, they are considered a notch above the regular prisons, he added. Also, for every one day spent in these prisons, the inmates are eligible to claim equal number of days as remission.

The Tamil Nadu Prison Manual stipulates that persons serving long sentences, ranging from three years to 10 years, alone are entitled to be lodged in Open Air Prisons. It, however, rules out the option for those serving imprisonment for life. The eligible convicts shall have already completed one-third of their total sentence period and they shall not be aged above 50 years.

As the primary occupation of the inmates is farming, prospective inmates are expected to have some knowledge in agricultural operations. They are entitled to wages on daily basis as well. While skilled hands are eligible for Rs. 65 day, the salary for the semi-skilled is Rs. 55 and the unskilled is Rs. 45. After usual deductions towards prison charges and victim compensation fund contributions, a specified portion of the salary is credited into the accounts of the inmate concerned.

Unlike the regular prisons where the convicts are allowed to have only two meetings a week with their visitors, there is no cap on the number of visits on inmates of Open Air Prisons.