NEW DELHI: In an effort to transform India’s punitive prison system into reformative centres, Supreme Court has mandated radical reforms and ruled that women inmates, like male prisoners, have a fundamental right to be lodged in open correctional institutions (OCIs), which must change character from labour camps to vocational training centres and allow inmates’ to have regular access to their families.Penning a 138-page magnum opus of a judgment on what ails the Indian prison system and the judicially devised antidotes, a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta appointed former SC judge S R Bhat as chairperson of a high powered committee with a honorarium of Rs 10 lakh per month along with other facilities to frame within six months a nationally consistent common minimum standards for “Reforms and Governance of Open Correctional Institutions”. Israel attacks IranIsrael Attack Iran Live Updates: Missiles strike US navy headquarters in Bahrain; explosions heard in Abu Dhabi, DohaUS, Israel attack Iran: AI Tel Aviv flight returning to IndiaIran attacks US military bases across Middle East in operation ‘Truthful Promise 4’It asked states, which do not have open jails, to establish these institutions and mandated setting up of multi-layered monitoring systems to ensure that its series of directions are scrupulously complied with in a time bound manner. It posted the next hearing on the matter on Sep 1. It directed state committees to file quarterly reports on implementation of SC directed reforms in open prisons before the jurisdictional HCs, which in turn will file yearly reports before SC every March 31.Writing the judgment for the bench, Justice Mehta said, “Exclusion of women from OCIs, or failure to transfer them despite being eligible for transfer from closed prisons to OCIs, amounts to blatant gender discrimination, violative of Articles 14 and 15(1) of the Constitution, and also infringes upon their right to live with dignity as guaranteed under Article 21.”He said, “Denial of access to OCIs deprives women prisoners of equal opportunity for rehabilitation and cannot be sustained in a constitutional order committed to equality, dignity and the transformative promise of justice. Immediate and effective corrective measures are, therefore, imperative in this regard.”The bench frowned at the long wait for a person lodged in closed jails – varying between 4 to 21 years in different states – to become eligible for shifting to an open jail.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’Moral Cowardice’: PM Modi’s Israel Visit Faces Oppn Heat As US-Israel Launch Strikes On Iran’Urge All Sides To…’: India Calls For Dialogue And De Escalation As US And Israel Attack Iran‘Historic’: US Envoy Gor Hails Micron’s Chip Plant Launch In Guj, Cites Modi-Trump FriendshipAfghanistan War, Iran Conflict Push Pakistan Into Two Front Security Challenge Amid Regional TensionHarvard University Responds After Sanskrit Course Image Sparks Criticism‘Target Religious Minorities’:UNHRC Side Event Flags Blasphemy Law Abuse In Pakistan And Bangladesh’Muslim League-Maoist Congress’: PM Modi Hits Out Over ‘Shirtless’ Protest At AI SummitIsrael-Iran War: AirIndia, IndiGo, Global Carriers Suspend Flights Amid West Asia Airspace ClosuresMunir’s Gamble Or US Script? As Trump Praises Pakistan, Is Islamabad Replaying Old Afghan Playbook?Five-Year Most-Favoured Nation Status Secured for India in Landmark EU Trade Agreement: What It Means for India123PhotostoriesHow to prevent weeds from invading your balcony garden5 essential property documents every homebuyer must verifyWhy many Indian women don’t meet daily protein requirements: Doctor explains how to fix it naturallyFrom Rashmika’s vintage gold to Nayanthara’s custom red: 5 South Indian celebrity weddings that broke the internet with their style5 Powerful Surya mantras to chant every morningMini workouts: Can 5 minutes a day build real fitness?Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s comfort recipes from his home kitchen that you can’t missHoli 2026: Forgotten Holi drinks that disappeared over time5 luxury electric cars offering performance, prestige and sustainable innovationFrom Jane Fonda to Melanie Griffith: actors who went throughknife to look younger123Hot PicksIsrael attack IranWest Bengal SIRGold rate todayDubai airportIncome Tax CalculatorPublic holidays March 2026Bank Holidays MarchTop TrendingIsrael Iran ConflictUS Israel Strike IranPakistna vs Sri Lanka ScorecardLucknow businessman murderRinku SinghIndian Wells Open 2026Crude OilQatar AirwaysMaxx Crosby InjuryNHL Trade
NEW DELHI: In an effort to transform India’s punitive prison system into reformative centres, Supreme Court has mandated radical reforms and ruled that women inmates, like male prisoners, have a fundamental right to be lodged in open correctional institutions (OCIs), which must change character from labour camps to vocational training centres and allow inmates’ to have regular access to their families.Penning a 138-page magnum opus of a judgment on what ails the Indian prison system and the judicially devised antidotes, a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta appointed former SC judge S R Bhat as chairperson of a high powered committee with a honorarium of Rs 10 lakh per month along with other facilities to frame within six months a nationally consistent common minimum standards for “Reforms and Governance of Open Correctional Institutions”. It asked states, which do not have open jails, to establish these institutions and mandated setting up of multi-layered monitoring systems to ensure that its series of directions are scrupulously complied with in a time bound manner. It posted the next hearing on the matter on Sep 1. It directed state committees to file quarterly reports on implementation of SC directed reforms in open prisons before the jurisdictional HCs, which in turn will file yearly reports before SC every March 31.Writing the judgment for the bench, Justice Mehta said, “Exclusion of women from OCIs, or failure to transfer them despite being eligible for transfer from closed prisons to OCIs, amounts to blatant gender discrimination, violative of Articles 14 and 15(1) of the Constitution, and also infringes upon their right to live with dignity as guaranteed under Article 21.”He said, “Denial of access to OCIs deprives women prisoners of equal opportunity for rehabilitation and cannot be sustained in a constitutional order committed to equality, dignity and the transformative promise of justice. Immediate and effective corrective measures are, therefore, imperative in this regard.”The bench frowned at the long wait for a person lodged in closed jails – varying between 4 to 21 years in different states – to become eligible for shifting to an open jail.
