Pockets Of Hope: No COVID Cases In Majority Of Odisha Jails

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Bhubaneswar: Amid the surge of COVID-19 cases in Odisha, 54 jails in Odisha hold out as islnds of hope by being virus-free during the second wave of the pandemic, sources in the Directorate of Prisons and Correctional Services said.

On the other hand, 816 inmates of 33 jails out of the total 87 have tested COVID positive. Of these, over half (420 prisoners) have recovered so far.

The sources also revealed that the jails in Odisha are overflowing with inmates. The optimum capacity of Odisha jails is 19,824 prisoners, but the actual number of inmates is 20,150, they said.

Following a Supreme Court directive, however, some prisoners were released on parole to bring down the number of inmates in the wake of the pandemic.

Sources said 1573 inmates have been released so far on the recommendation of a high-power committee. This has effectively brought down the number to 18,580.

Also Read: COVID Spike: Odisha Grants Parole To 126 Prisoners For Three Months