PAROLE & FURLOUGH

Why in news?

Recently, Supreme Court ruled that the period of parole granted to convicts during the Covid-19 pandemic to prevent overcrowding in prisons and avoid the risk of spread of infection, cannot be counted as part of their actual sentence period and has to be excluded from it.

Parole:

• Parole means the release of a prisoner either temporarily for a special purpose or completely before the expiry of a sentence, on the promise of good behaviour.
• The word parole is derived from the French phrase “je donne ma parole”, which means “I give my word”.
• Parole is the privilege given to the prisoners to return to the society and socialise with families and friends.
• It requires periodic reporting to the authorities for a set period of time. It is granted to that person who has already served a portion of his or her sentence.
• It enables the prisoner to deal with family matters and develop a good life for him or his family members.

Furlough:

• Furlough is given in cases of long-term imprisonment. A prisoner’s sentence is considered to be remitted during his furlough time.
• It is to be allowed on a regular basis for no reason other than to allow the prisoner to maintain familial and social relationships and to counteract the negative consequences of long-term imprisonment.
• The right to be released on furlough is a substantial and legal right of the prisoner, and it cannot be rejected if permitted by law.

 

 

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/parole-days-cannot-be-counted-as-part-of-sentence-period-top-court-8517570/