With an ease in lockdown restrictions, the crime rate is going up again and the sub-jails in the city’s outskirts are filling up fast.
In March, about 2,700 remand prisoners, who were involved in petty offences were released across the State in an effort to contain COVID-19 and to reduce the congestion in the prisons.
They were enlarged on bail by judicial authorities after scrutinising the cases individually.
After this move, the occupancy was 12,166 in State prisons against a sanctioned capacity of 23,392, which was around 50%. “Now the lockdown restrictions are being relaxed and crimes are also being reported. Suspects who are involved in hurt and attempt to murder cases have been remanded and lodged in prisons,” said a prison officer.
“On June 3, 14,451 prisoners were lodged in the prisons. The occupancy level touched 61 per cent,”said the prison officer. Among them, 550 had now been released on bail, he added.
From an average of hundred admissions daily during May, it went up to 344 on June 3, officials said. “We are following strong protocols while admitting remand prisoners. For the first 14 days, the remand prisoners are being lodged in sub-jails in Poonamallee, Chengalpattu and Kancheepuram before being taken to Central Prison-II, Puzhal.”
The Central Prison-II has 1,086 prisoners against the sanctioned capacity of 1,250. “As there is not much space left there, the remand prisoners are sent to sub-jails which are filling up fast,” the official said. While Poonamallee Sub-Jail has 96 prisoners against the capacity of 122, Chengalpattu has 208 against the sanctioned capacity of 200 and Kancheepuram has 19 against 34.
“In one case, police told us that the accused, lodged in one of the sub-jails, had tested positive after two days.Enough care should be taken by the police team who bring in the remand prisoners,” the prison official added.
Already, 40 prisoners and a couple of prison staff tested positive for COVID-19.