Shillong, Feb 9: The state would soon have a central jail, which will be based on the concept of being more “correctional” rather than “penalizing” convicts, at the New Shillong Township (NST).

“We have already sent a proposal to the state government and requested for 25 acres of land in the NST. The government is looking into it and I am very sure that the government will soon come up with its approval…,” Inspector General of Prisons, M Kharkrang told reporters on Monday.

He said the department prefers land at the NST to avoid purchasing of private land as this would help reduce the cost of the project to a very great extent. According to him, the capacity intake of the central jail would be around 200-300 inmates.

Stating that the proposed central jail is based on the concept of ‘correctional’, Kharkrang said, “We are looking more at correctional rather than a place where we penalized the convicts.”

He added, “The whole idea of the central jail is also to segregate the convicts and the under trial prisoners (UTPs). That is why, we need a lot of land over there…to have facilities for imparting training of various trades to the convicts/UTPs so that once they complete their conviction period, they will come out and be gainfully employed and not to return back to crimes.”

The IG further informed that the central jail will be quite different from the prevailing jails in the sense that it will be a modern prison that will also house training centres for the officers and staff of the prison department.

Asked, Kharkrang said that he would not say that the government has delayed to come up with the central jail.

“This is because after we had sent a proposal, correspondences have already started from our department and the government so I don’t see any delay,” he said.

According to him, the government has been setting up district jails in the various districts in which the much-awaited Nongstoin jail will soon be completed.