Guwahati: Four northeastern states have formed panels to oversee open prisons following Supreme Court directions, Gauhati high court said on Thursday.Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland have also submitted their first quarterly compliance reports to the high court.Open Correctional Institutions (OCIs), or open prisons, allow selected inmates to work outside, learn skills and, in some cases, live with their families as part of their rehabilitation. Assam has one such facility, while Arunachal, Mizoram and Nagaland have none.In Feb, Supreme Court observed that existing open prisons were underused and several states and Union territories had no such facilities. It also noted a lack of uniformity and called for common minimum standards for their governance and management.The court directed high courts to register suo motu writ petitions to monitor compliance. It also ordered all states and Union territories to form OCI monitoring committees within four weeks.“Pursuant to the SC direction, this suo motu case was registered, and the states of Assam, Arunachal, Mizoram and Nagaland were directed to submit their respective reports. In all four states, monitoring committees have been constituted, and the first quarterly report has been received in the high court,” the high court stated.The high court will hear the matter on Jan 4, 2027.
