TN paroles 82% of convicts,Bihar and UP less than 1%

In emergencies,convicts are sometimes granted parole before they have served a year.

Sanjay Dutt,who got parole for the second time in as many months,is one of few such prisoners given that privilege in the country. A nationwide study of the number of convicts allowed parole last year shows a total of 35,465 out of 1,27,789 convicts,or less than 30 per cent.

From state to state,however,the numbers vary significantly. The proportion of prisoners granted parole in Uttar Pradesh,Bihar and Jammu & Kashmir is abysmally lower than the national average,while Tamil Nadu last year paroled as many as 82 per cent of its convicts last year.

UP has the highest convicted prisoner population,26,250,of whom only 107,less than one per cent,were granted parole. Of Bihars 4,108 prisoners,only 15 were granted parole,again less than one per cent. States such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh lag far behind in prison reforms . It is one of the reasons why prisoners there find it tough to get parole, says Dr Vijay Raghavan associate professor and chairperson,Centre for Criminology and Justice Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

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For the low proportion in Jammu and Kashmir (eight in 4,279),criminologists cite the reluctance of the government to take chances with convicted militants.

Besides Tamil Nadu,states with high parole records include Himachal Pradesh,Haryana,Kerala,Madhya Pradesh,Maharashtra and Goa.

Parole,generally given after a certain time is spent in prison,cannot exceed 30 days. Its objective is to ensure the sentencing does not sever a prisoners societal ties. Parole is generally granted under specified circumstances,provided the prisoner has completed more than a year. The parole time is generally counted as part of the sentence. In emergencies,however,convicts are sometimes granted parole before they have served a year.

Criminologists say parole is not a prisoners right but stress granting it plays an important role in his or her reformation. It is very difficult for a convict to integrate himself after coming from a closed institution back into society. Parole helps allow prisoners to have societal contact, says R K Saxena,retired inspector general (prisons),Rajasthan.

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