Last year, the Netherlands had to resort to “importing” prisoners from Norway to prevent more of its jails from shutting down, as the number of closures has already breached 25 leading to the axing of countless jobs.
Crime, for some, does mean a paycheck, after all. Considering Sweden has also been reporting a steady decline in incarceration numbers and consequent prison shutdowns, jail if not criminal activity seems to be going out of fashion in parts of northern Europe, unlike in the US that still holds a quarter of the world’s prisoners.
India never has a shortage of prisoners so the news that Telangana is going to join this select Scandinavian club by also shutting down five sub jails soon – and three more a little later – due to lack of inmates, comes as a pleasant surprise.
Of course, some may wonder why Telangana does not help out other Indian states by taking on some of their undertrials and convicts, but the positive messaging of jail closures cannot be underestimated.
Telangana’s law enforcement officials maintain that crime rates have been falling and, hence, the five jails earmarked for closure now have more staff than prisoners, necessitating their closure. Obviously, the reason why this is happening in Telangana and not the rest of India – much like the Scandinavian anomaly in the west – should be examined.
Source: Economic Times