89 convicts availed educational remission by completing degrees, courses while serving sentences: Maharashtra Prisons Department

A notification issued by the Maharashtra government in October 2019 specifically empowered the additional director general of police of Prison Department to sanction a special remission of 90 days if a convict completes Secondary School Certificate (SSC), Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSC), graduate, postgraduate degrees, including Mphil or PhD while serving a sentence.

Further, the deputy inspector general was given powers to sanction a 60-day remission in the sentences if an inmate completes a specific vocational training certificate while serving a sentence.

As per the data shared by the Prisons Department Tuesday, between October 2019 and January 2023, 80 inmates completed their graduate degrees, seven completed their postgraduate degrees, and two successfully passed the SSC or HSC exams while serving their sentences. These inmates completed their studies and appeared for the exams through the Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University (YCMOU), Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) or other distance learning programmes at other educational institutes.

Of the 87 who completed their graduate or postgraduate degrees highest, 30 were from Nagpur Central Prison, followed by 15 each from Amaravati Central Prison and Kolhapur Central Prison, nine each from Paithan Open Prison and Nashik Road Central Prison, five and three respectively from Yerawada and Gadchiroli Open Prisons and one from Aurangabad Central Prison.

One inmate each from Amaravati Central Prison and Gadchiroli Open Prison passed their HSC or SSC exams. Six other inmates from the state have availed 60 days of remission by completing vocational training certificates.

An official from the State Prison Department said, “In addition to availing the much sought-after remission, the convicts who complete their educational qualification have an added advantage upon their release. Past examples have shown that these qualifications and degrees obtained during the sentence have proven to be of great help for the inmates to get employment or start their businesses.”