Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Bombay High Court at Goa has directed the State government to promptly issue a formal notification constituting a State Monitoring Committee, highlighting delays in implementing the Supreme Court’s mandate on Open Correctional Institutions (OCI).
A Division Bench of Justice Valmiki Menezes and Justice Amit Jamsandekar issued the directive after the State informed the court that a proposal was already in motion to appoint a senior prisons official to the panel. The committee, expected to be in place by May 12, will be led by the Home Department—either by the Secretary (Home) or an अधिकारी not below the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Prisons.
Hearing a suo motu public interest litigation, the Bench stressed that the process must not remain on paper and insisted on immediate formalisation through notification.
During proceedings, the government also shared that it has granted preliminary approval to establish a semi-open prison on a 30,000 sq m site at Colvale, next to the existing correctional facility. However, the court pointed out that a semi-open prison does not fully meet the framework prescribed by the Supreme Court for OCIs.
In response, the State indicated it is open to revising the proposal to align with OCI guidelines. Taking note, the Bench observed that since land has already been identified and initial approval granted, authorities should now prepare a comprehensive plan in line with the apex court’s directions.
The court has further instructed the Home Department to draft a detailed report and set up a separate panel to examine the OCI model. This panel must submit its findings to the monitoring committee by June 15. The case will next be heard on June 17.
The High Court had initiated the matter on April 17 following a Supreme Court ruling dated March 2, which directed all States and Union Territories to develop and expand open prison systems within a defined timeline.
The apex court had raised concerns about prolonged incarceration in closed prisons, with inmates often spending years—sometimes decades—before being considered for transfer to open facilities. It also flagged the lack of diverse rehabilitation programmes, noting that many prisons restrict vocational training to basic agricultural work, limiting meaningful reintegration opportunities.
In earlier observations, the High Court remarked that despite having modern prison infrastructure, Goa appears to lag in adopting progressive, reform-oriented correctional practices.
