Haryana govt mulls “high security” prison for hardcore criminals at Rohtak

Currently, around 20,000 prisoners are lodged in 16 district and three central jails across the state. The state government has plans to construct a high-security jail with a capacity of 500 prisoners. “Each jail has only 5-10 per cent prisoners who can be put in the category of hardcore. Once these prisoners are brought out from the district and central jails, other prisoners may be engaged in more productive activities there. The department may intensify other activities in these jails related to rehabilitation, education, production, openness and training,” said the officer.

Being a central area in the state, Rohtak has been picked for the high security prison to ensure easy movement of prisoners from other jails. “The high security jail will have the latest technology which will ensure there is no breach of security. It’s not that there will be no activities to reform hardcore and dreaded prisoners. We will arrange councilors and psychiatrists for them, so that they also join the mainstream. If all of them are at one place, it would be easier for us to start such activities apart from ensuring the security of the jail,” said the officer.

If the proposal is approved, the Haryana Police Housing Corporation will take the responsibility of constructing the prison. Officers will visit the high-security jails of Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Karnataka before finalising the design.

When contacted, IG (prisons) Jagjit Singh confirmed that the government was mulling such a proposal.