CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government is planning to start conjugal visits in prisons from September 20, making the state perhaps the first one in the country to do so. The two-hour visits that allow inmates to spend time alone with their legal spouse will be allowed in the coming days. Such visits are already allowed in prisons of the United States, Germany, Canada, Australia, Philippines, Pakistan and France. Also, family members in a group of up to five will be able to meet their imprisoned kin for one hour from Thursday. Punjab will be the second state after Maharashtra in the country to start such visits.
Sources said that the state jails department has made the arrangements to start the conjugal visits in three prisons—Central Jail Goindwal Sahib, New District Jail at Nabha and Women’s Jail at Bathinda. These visits will be started for prisoners shortlisted for their “good behaviour”. The prisoners will be given two hours with their spouses in jail rooms that have been equipped with furniture and other amenities. The visitors opting for conjugal visits will have to furnish documentary proof of relationship (marriage certificate), ID and medical certificate issued by a government hospital of being free from HIV, STD, Covid or any other infectious disease. The conjugal visit will be allowed to be repeated after two months subject to the availability of infrastructure. Special staff will be deputed to monitor them.
Besides good conduct, the inmates who can avail such visits should not be going out on parole, should not be hardened criminals or gangsters or convicted of any heinous crime. For undertrials, the specifications include good conduct and not having stepped out of jail for long. “Discretion has been given to jail superintendents to set the timings and days for these visits,’’ said an officer. Sources said that in the case of Jasvir Singh versus the State of Punjab dated 29.5.2014, it was ordered that a jail reforms committee will be constituted to formulate a scheme for the creation of an environment for conjugal visits.
“Conjugal visits can strengthen family ties and improve marriage functionality since it helps to maintain intimacy between husband and wife. We are going to start these visits as a pilot project,’’ an officer said on condition of anonymity. Meanwhile, the one-hour family visit will be started in 15 jails, including Bathinda, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur and Patiala. Up to five family members, including spouse, children, parents, grandparents and siblings, will be allowed to meet the inmate in the ‘mulakat’ room in the jails. “One family visit will replace two ordinary mulakats for an inmate, and this will be allowed on rotation basis every three months,’’ said an official.