In order to deal with the problem of overcrowding, the State Government has decided to set up six more jails at a cost of ` 36 crore.
Official sources said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has approved a proposal in this regard at a high level meeting held in the Secretariat.
The jails will be set up at Soro in Balasore district, Patrapur in Ganjam district, Laxmipur and Kashipur in Rayagada district, Kantabanji in Balangir district and MV 79 in Malkangir district.
The State Government has also approved the proposal to set up open air jails at Nilgiri in Balasore and Jujumura in Sambalpur with a cost of ` 12 crore each.
Now, the state has only one open-air prison - Biju Patnaik Jail - located at Jamujhari on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.
According to the White Paper of the Home Department, the State now has 86 jails where 12,867 inmates including 306 Maoists have been accommodated.
The issue of overcrowding of prisons has been discussed in the Assembly and other fora several times.
Official sources said the Government would set up State Prison Academy to improve the expertise and capability of the officers by providing the latest training at a cost of ` eight crore.
It has also been decided to improve the nutritional value of the food provided to the inmates and the Government is mulling to hike the expenditure on food.
The prisoners are provided vocational training on textile, carpentry, candle making, preparation of the fly ash bricks and agriculture.
A proposal has been cleared to impart training on computer for which the National Institute of Open School has been roped in. Besides, in these six new jails, computer training will also be imparted to the inmates.
While there are provisions of video conference in 15 jails, it will be extended to 15 more jails.
Scanners will be fitted in some of the major jails and high mast light fitted for security reasons.
The jails will be set up at Soro in Balasore district, Patrapur in Ganjam district, Laxmipur and Kashipur in Rayagada district, Kantabanji in Balangir district and MV 79 in Malkangir district
* State now has 86 jails where 12,867 inmates including 306 Maoists have been accommodated
* Scanners will be fitted in some of the major jails and high mast light fitted for security reasons
* The prisoners are provided vocational training on textile, carpentry among others