Home confinement facility for those who have served two-thirds of the term and are of good conduct
When we think of prison, we think of dark rooms, strict surveillance and limited opportunities. But the law does not compel all the prisoners to serve the sentence inside the prison. More than 1100 people are currently serving prison terms outside of prison, i.e. at home, after being found guilty by the court.
In Section 29 of the Criminal Offenses (Sentencing and Execution) Act 2074, the prisoners have been able to enjoy this facility after the provision that they can be placed on parole (payment of imprisonment from home). According to the law, the judge of the district court can order to keep the offender on parole with the recommendation of the relevant 'probation' and 'parole board'.
The prison administrator has conveyed the information to the board through the prison department. The District Court Judge has full authority to order whether or not to grant parole. This law was approved on October 30, 2074. Although the law was said to be implemented from August 1, 2075, it was implemented only from last year.
According to Narayan Prasad Bhattarai, Director General of the Prison Management Department, after the implementation of the law, 1,099 people, including 8 children from the correctional home, have left the prison and are serving their imprisonment at home.
According to Bhattarai, this facility was given to 143 people on 25th December 2080 and 154 people on 18th Chait. After that, 117 people on June 1, 2081, 135 people on July 19, 86 people on July 31, 197 people on October 7 and 277 people on November 7 and 8 people at the Children's Correctional Home were given the facility of serving their prison sentences at home. is given Bhattarai said that the parole facility is available not only in Nepal but also in some other countries. Among those recommended for parole are drug-related, driving, wildlife, theft/robbery, polygamy, foreign employment, making a national identity card by submitting false information, assault, possession of arms, criminal nuisance, duty killing, killing industry, counterfeit currency, etc. are.
However, the Act provides that those convicted of crimes related to life imprisonment, corruption, extortion, human trafficking and trafficking, organized crime, money laundering, torture or cruel, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, crimes against humanity, crimes against the state cannot be kept on parole.
Prisoners do not get full freedom on parole. They must be under the control and supervision of a parole officer. According to the Prison Management Department, two prisoners have broken the parole rules so far.
A person living in Kailali after being released from Dadeldhura jail has been found to be involved in drug dealing again. Another person was found to have escaped from Dailekh prison and came to Kathmandu to live in Jumla. Both of them had to stay in jail again for violating the rules.
When serving prison terms at home, the parole officer must be present when called. In addition, one cannot go outside the district and commit illegal acts. Prisoners on parole can work for a living either in the district or within their premises. A parole officer is legally provided for monitoring compliance/non-compliance with their conditions.
Nepal government's decision dated 16 October 2080 has designated the administrator of the respective prison as the parole officer. If the conditions of parole are not fulfilled, he will have to stay in prison again from the day he went home.
Bhattarai, director general of the prison management department, says that with this one year's experience, it can be assumed that the parole payment is successful. So far, the number of people who have completed their prison sentences from home has been reduced by 100. The main purpose of keeping prisons is to improve their behavior and conduct and make them good citizens and rehabilitate them in society. Such opportunities can change their behavior.
"There are more prisoners in prisons than capacity, parole has definitely helped in this, but the main thing is to reform them through encouragement and punishment," says Bhattarai. There are 75 prisons across the country. Among them, there are 2/2 prisons in Dang and Kathmandu. There are no jail offices in Dhanusha, Bara, Bhaktapur and East Navalparasi. According to the data of the department, there are currently more than 16,000 prisoners and 13 more detainees across the country. There are more than a thousand children in correctional homes.
