Narela jail to cater to high-risk inmates

The Capital is set to get a fourth jail at Narela in outer Delhi to cater exclusively to high-risk prisoners, officials aware of the matter said on Monday, adding that the new facility will likely be ready in the next two years.

- Sanjeev K Jha

The officials said that the Delhi home department has given its administrative approval for the new complex, which will cater to 250 high-security inmates, and the Centre has allocated 120 crore for its construction.

Delhi currently has three prison complexes - Tihar, Rohini, and Mandoli - that are designed to cater to a cumulative 5,200 inmates, though the present strength of prisoners in Delhi jails is 17,000.

A senior Delhi government officer said the new jail will be constructed along the lines of a "Pennsylvania system" - also called the "separate system" -in which inmates are confined in complete isolation from other prisoners, similar to Cellular Jail, the now-defunct British colonial prison complex at Andaman & Nicobar Islands.