Ranchi: State govt on Wednesday informed the Jharkhand high court that 32 acres of land had been identified in Hazaribag for the expansion and construction of an open prison.The submission was made before a division bench of Chief Justice M S Sonak and Justice Rajesh Shankar during the hearing of a PIL concerning the condition of prisons and inmates in the state.The govt counsel told the court that a proposal for the project had been sent to the home department. The proposed facility would also have a separate area for women inmates.Pending construction of the open prison, the bench directed the govt to use prison facilities in Ranchi, Hazaribag, Dumka and Jamshedpur as correctional centres. The matter will be heard again on Sept 10.Open prisons are minimum-security, trust-based correctional facilities that generally have no high walls, bars or armed guards within the premises. They aim to promote self-discipline among inmates and may allow family cohabitation, wage-earning work and farming.
