Would a jail inmate refuse offer of freedom? It appears so, in times of COVID-19.
At least eight convicts lodged in Mysuru Central jail have refused to go home on the 90-day parole offered to eligible inmates to decongest prisons in the wake of the second surge in COVID-19 infections. They have said that probability of contracting the virus is higher outside and they also fear that they may not be able to earn a livelihood amidst the lockdown outside.
While more than 75 jail inmates had walked out of Mysuru jail during the last few days, eight have turned down the offer. Two more eligible convicts are undergoing treatment for COVID-19 and the jail authorities are yet to hear from them on whether they will take parole or not.
The jail authorities began releasing convicts and undertrials on COVID-19 parole in the second week of May this year to decongest the prison, which is housing about 750 inmates, as per the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court last year.
Mysuru Jail Superintendent Divyashree told The Hindu that while 63 inmates offered parole during first wave of COVID-19 last year had accepted it and returned to jail after expiry of parole period, this year they are faced with a peculiar situation. “This year, eight of them have refused to return home. They claim that they feel safe from COVID-19 inside the jail,” she said.
Though a few inmates of the jail had tested positive in the last few days and had been treated, almost all the 700 inmates of Mysuru jail, who are above 45 years, had been given the first dose of vaccine. Many inmates in the 18 to 44 years age bracket too had been given the first dose while all the staff members of the jail had finished both their doses.
Some refused parole in view of the livelihood challenges that people are facing during lockdown. Families of the convicts, who hail from different places in Mandya, Hassan and Madikeri, besides Mysuru, are not financially sound to take care of their needs. And finding work themselves for a living is also difficult during the lockdown, they have argued.
The inmates have to remit ₹1,000 as surety before being let out on parole, but the amount will be returned to them on their return to the jail after conclusion of the parole period.
