Fund crunch halts Halfway Houses for inmates

HYDERABAD: Though the AP Prisons department has been requesting for three years to the Home ministry to approve its proposal of the ‘Halfway House’ programme, it has not received a positive response.The Halfway House is meant to provide inmates of open-air prisons to spend time with their family for a week for couple of times a year within the prison’s premises. In 2008, the APPD had come up with an unique proposal of Halfway House for welfare of prisoners and asked the Home department for funds to be released but lack of funds has meant the programme has been put on hold.“I am sure the Home minister Sabitha Indra Reddy will approve the proposal and release fund for constructions of halfway houses by end of this financial year,” said B Sunil Kumar, additional inspector-general (Prisons).He added the Prisons department is also looking for sponsors for funding constructions of halfway houses.There are two open-air prisons in the state- Cherlapally and Anantapur.In both prisons, there are about 277 inmates without any woman prisoner.The open-air prison inmates are mostly convicts who are on life terms.They have been sent by officials of seven central prisons by observing their obedient behaviour.There are also prisoners who will be released in three to five years.As part of the Halfway House, inmates will get a chance to spend time with their family for a week for couple of times in a year before being released permanently.“The proposal will be modified according to suggestions of experts and work will be done in two phases,” said Sunil Kumar. Meanwhile, Anantapur prison officials have already tied up with local NGO Vicente Ferrer Moncho Foundation for constructions of Halfway Houses.“Once the Home department gives permission for the programme, the foundation will construct 12 houses in the premises.The foundation has already contributed funds for resting rooms at the Anantapur prison,” said I Srinivasa Rao, superintendent of Anantapur prison.He is also very optimistic the home department would soon give permission as it is for a humanitarian purpose. Earlier, the Rajasthan government had implemented a type of Halfway House programme which allows open-air prison inmates who were sufficiently trusted or can be monitored to leave confinement to work and return to the prison when their shift is completed. They were also given halfway houses for spending time with their family before being permanently released.