The Supreme Court of India has directed all States and Union Territories to frame, within three months, a common, time-bound and compassionate framework for the premature release of elderly and terminally ill prisoners. The order matters for UPSC because it sits at the intersection of prison reform, remission policy, and the constitutional commitment to human dignity.
The court said that such inmates are entitled to a humane mechanism for remission or early release. The directions were issued while hearing a petition filed by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).
What the Supreme Court directed
The Supreme Court asked every State and Union Territory to prepare its own policy within three months, but the policy must follow a common framework. The policy must also be drafted in consultation with the respective State Legal Services Authorities so that prison departments and legal-services institutions can coordinate the identification of eligible prisoners.
The court required the policy to specify:
Key features of the policy
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