Panaji, Dec 6 (IANS) Goa will soon have a prison exclusively for women convicts and undertrials, Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza said Thursday.
Speaking to reporters in Porvorim, D’Souza said the move was in sync with prison reforms and added that efforts would be made to ensure that young criminals and undertrials would be kept away from hardened criminals in Goa’s prisons.
“The Aguada central jail will soon be dedicated to women only. The move is based on recommendations made vis-a-vis judicial reforms. All women undertrials and prisoners from other prisons in Goa would be shifted there,” D’Souza said.
The Aguada jail, located 20 km from here, is one of the oldest prisons in the country and is housed in a 17th century fort which overlooks the Arabian Sea and the most popular beach stretch in the state, Calangute-Baga stretch.
The jail once used to house freedom fighters, who were arrested over the years before 1961 protesting against the colonial Portuguese regime.
D’Souza also said a move to segregate young criminals and undertrials aged between 18 and 21 from hardened criminals had been started by the government and a dedicated jail had been identified for it.
“The Mapusa sub jail will only have these young boys, who often get mixed with hardened criminals and ruin their lives further. This segregation will only enhance the efforts of correcting them,” he said.
There are nearly 500 undertrials and prisoners in Goa’s three major prisons.
