Prison reform is a common responsibility, not a partisan issue: Minister Gautam

Kathmandu. The meeting of the Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee has discussed and collected suggestions on the report of the Sub-Committee on Human Rights Situation of Detainees and Detainees in various jails and detainees, 2083 BS.

The meeting also discussed the issue of endorsing the report of the Sub-Committee on Human Rights of Children in Child Correction Homes-2083 BS submitted to the Committee.

Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Sobita Gautam, underscored the need of amending existing laws for overall improvement in prison management.

She said the government would carry out necessary works based on the questions raised by the committee, the suggestions included in the report and the report of the study committee formed for prison management reforms.

“We have been discussing this issue for a long time. “We also have the questions raised by the committee today, the issues suggested in the report after studying the issues raised by the committee and the report of the study committee formed to involve the inmates in productive work and to improve the overall prison management,” said Minister Gautam.

According to him, it has been one and half months since the report of the study committee on prison management reform was received. She said that the government is studying the way forward as it was difficult to implement the suggestions received in the past without amending the law.

Minister Gautam said that although the Prison Act, 2079 has been promulgated, it has not been able to incorporate all the issues in a timely manner. According to him, many issues have been left out in the Act and the law should be amended as per the need.

“The Prison Act, 2079 BS has been introduced. The Act was passed to make it timely, but it still did not become timely. There’s still a lot of stuff that’s left out,” she said.

She stressed that all political parties should move ahead together as the issue of prison reform is a common issue and not of any particular party. “All have shared responsibility to make the society safe and peaceful,” he said.

Minister Gautam said that the lawmakers in the committee have given suggestions on prison management and law reform as the voice of experts and society rising above partisan opinions. She expressed confidence that the State would be able to carry out necessary legal and policy reforms on the basis of the suggestions.