Prision system of Nepal

"It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been
inside the jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats
its highest citizens, but its lowest ones."
-Former prisoner and ex-President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela

"The degree of civilization in a society can be judged

by entering its prisons."
-Fyodor Dostoevsky
INTRODUCTION

prison is a facility in which inmates are forcibly confined and denied a variety of

freedoms under the authority of the state. In simplest terms, a prison can also be
described as a building in which people are legally held as a punishment for a crime
they have committed.

Prison is also known as a correctional facility, jail, gaol (British and Australian
English), penitentiary (American English), detention center (American
English), remand center, or internment facility (commonly used term in military
theatres of war/involvement),

Prisons are most commonly used within a criminal justice system; people charged
with crimes may be imprisoned until their trial. Keeping behind the bars as a means
of punishment came into practice mostly after the end of the 18 th century.
Prison can be defined in general as all the custodial facility for the confinement of
person in the process of imposing punishment, investigating or adjudicating the cases
charged against him.

In strict sense it is a custodial sentence for the confinement of offender serving long
term.

The jail, custody, and the prison are looks like same meaning. But in English law
there is difference between jail and prison.

Jail is a locally administrated confinement facility used to detain person awaiting a

trial or those serving short sentences, usually one years or less.

Prison is a state or federal custodial facility for the confinement of the offenders
serving long terms, usually a year or more.
In Nepalese context, 'Khor' and 'Karagar' is different.

According to the Prison Act 2019, Karagar is referred to a building; room or

places in order to confine the prisoners (Kaidi) or detainees (Thunuwa) or
acquired land of the buildings or room also.

Khor referred to the specified building, room or place and acquired land by
such places in order to keep only for Thunuwa (the detainees).

M. J. Sethana has defined prison as 'A prison is a place for detention or under
trials also they are the place when the offender can be lodged for his/her
reformation.
 Purpose of Prison
Prisons have four major purposes: Retribution, Incapacitation, Deterrence and
Rehabilitation.

a) Retribution means punishment for crimes against society. Depriving criminals

of their freedom is a way of making them pay a debt to society for their crimes.

b) Incapacitation refers to the removal of criminals from society so that they can
no longer harm innocent people.

c) Deterrence means the prevention of future crime.

d) Rehabilitation refers to activities designed to change criminals into law

abiding citizens, and may include providing educational courses in prison,
teaching job skills and offering counseling with a psychologist or social worker.
The four major purposes of prisons have not been stressed equally through the
years. As a result, prisons differ in the makeup of their staffs, the design of their
buildings and their operations. 

In this context, there are many questions to be solved even in the Nepalese Prison
System.

Prison management, prison staff, condition of prisoners and prisons, legal structures
and its standards, application of international standards, application of the
recommendations made by the several committees and task forces constituted by
the executive and the legislative body, and

Execution of the court's order to reform the prison are considered as core issues.
 Prison System in Nepal
The history of prison system in Nepal is believed to have started fro 1971 B.S.
Sadar Jail (Central Prison) which is today known as Office of Prison, Jagganath
deval) was the first prison of Nepal.

Subsequently. the Prison Act, 2019 came into operation followed by the
formulation of the Prison Rules, 2020 B.S.

With the objective of making prison management and administration more effective
and functional a Prison Management Department was set up in 2050 B.S. under
the Ministry of Home affairs.

At present, except in Dhanusha, Bara and Bhaktpur, there are Prison offices in all
other districts.

At the local level the general responsibility of prison management and
administration is under the direct control and supervision of the concerned CDOs.
In Nakhu area a psycho social Hospital is being built whereas a Regional
Prison is being built in Naubasta. Likewise, an Open Prison is under
construction at Ganapur of Banke district.

Prison overcrowding has been a growing challenge for Department of Prison

Management (DoPM) in Nepal. There are currently 74 prisons that are housing
18,881 inmates against their capacity of 10,608.

To address this issue, DoPM has decided to build 17 new prisons at an
estimated cost of Rs. 1.677 billion. Moreover, the GoN has also bought
535 ropanies of land to build an open prison with 5000 inmates’ capacity.

The number of prisoners in Nepal has been increasing rapidly since 2006.
This could be due to tougher sentencing, lack of alternative measures to
imprisonment, inadequate bail system, etc. Nepal also imprisons people for
victimless crimes – actions that are considered criminal under law, however, have
no victim—like drugs and prostitution. 
The prison system of Nepal needs to be reformed.
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sf/fuf/df gfafnssf] x]/rfx M -!_ y'lgP jf s}b k/]sL :jf:gLdflg;sf]
sf/fuf/ leq 5f]/f 5f]/L hGd]5 jf b'O{ jif{ gk'u]sf] gfafns 5f]/f 5f]/L /x]5
eg] aflx/ x]/larf/ ug]{ jfl/;jfnf eP klg lghnfO{ cfdfn] cfkm}l;t /fvL
x]/ljrf/ ug{ rfx]df sf/fuf/ leq} /fVg x'G5 . To:tf gfafns b'O{ jif{ k'u]kl5,
cfjZos ePdf afx]s, lghnfO{ jfl/;jfnfsf] lhDdf nufO{ lbg' k5{ .

-@_ s'g} y'g'jf jf s}bLsf] lghn] nfng kfng ug'{ kg]{ gfafns /x]5 / To:tf]
gfafnssf] nfng kfng ug]{ c¿ sf]xL /x]g5 eg] lgh y'gf jf s}bdf /x'Gh]n
To:tf] gfafnssf] ;Dk"0f{ x]/ ljrf/, lzIff bLIff / nfng kfng tf]lsP adf]lhd
g]kfn ;/sf/ sf] vr{df ul/g]5 .

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.
y'g'jf / s}bLx¿sf] l;wf vr{ / n'uf ;DaGwL Joj:yf M sf/fuf/df
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-*_ sf] pkbkmf -!_ / -@_ df pNn]v ePsf gfafns 5f]/f
5f]/LnfO{ tf]lsP adf]lhd l;wf vr{ / n'uf lbOg]5 .
t/–
-s_ s}b g7]lsO{ Psjif{ ;Dd jf ;f] eGbf a9L y'gfdf /x]sf] y'g'jfnfO{
n'uf lbOg]5 .

-v_ s'g} y'g'jf jf s}bLn] cfˆgf] l;wf / n'ufsf] Joj:yf cfˆg} vr{df ug{
rfx]df tf]lsP adf]lhd lghnfO{ To:tf] Joj:yf ug{ lbOg]5 .

e]63f6 / kq Jojxf/ M -!_ s'g} y'g'jf jf s}bLn] jf To:tf] y'g'jf jf

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cj:yfdf afx]s, e]6 jf kq Jojxf/ ug{ tf]lsPadf]lhd lbOg]5 . t/ o;
pkbkmfdf n]lvPsf] s'g} s'/fn] s'g} y'g'jf jf s}bLsf]
sfg'gL ;Nnfxsf/nfO{ To:tf] y'g'jf jf s}bLl;t tf]lsPadf]lhd e]6
ug{ afwf k'¥ofpg] 5}g . -@_ pkbkmf -!_ df ul/Psf] Joj:yfsf] lj?4
y'g'jf jf s}bLx¿nfO{ sfddf nufpg sfddf nufpg] M k|rlnt g]kfn
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4 s'g} sfddf nufOg] 5}g . t/ g]kfn ;/sf/n] y'g'jf / s}bLx¿sf] :jf:Yo,
cfly{s pGglt jf ;'wf/sf] lgldQ cfjZos 7fg]df s'g} y'g'jf jf
s}bLnfO{ s'g} sfddf nufpg] Joj:yf ug{ ;Sg]5 .

v'nf sf/fuf/df /fVg ;Sg] M-!_ o; P]g jf k|rlnt g]kfn sfg'gdf h'g;'s} s'/f
n]lvPsf] eP tfklg tLg jif{eGbf a9L s}b ;hfo eO{ sDtLdf Ps
ltxfO{ s}bsf] cjlw e'Qmfg ul/;s]sf] s}bLnfO{ tf]lsPsf] clwsf/Ln] v'nf
sf/fuf/df a:g] cg'dlt lbg ;Sg]5 .
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;/x dflgg]5 .
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kfpg] l;wf, n'uf
tyf cf}iflw pkrf/ vr{ kfpg] 5}g .
-$_ v'nf sf/fuf/ ;DaGwL cGo Joj:yf tf]lsP adf]lhd x'g]5 .
:jf:Yo / pkrf/ M -!_ dfgl;s jf zf/Ll/s la/fdL k/]sf y'g'jf jf
s}bLx¿nfO{ ;/sfl/of lrlsT;såf/f pkrf/ u/fpg' k5{ . t/ s'g} y'g'jf jf s}bLn]
cfˆgf] vr{ nufO{ c¿ s'g} lrlsT;saf6 pkrf/ u/fpg rfx]df tf]lsP adf]lhd
To:tf] pkrf/ u/fpg cg'dlt lbOg]5 .
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{ st{Jo ;DalGwt ✔ k|d'v lhNnf clwsf/Lsf] x'g]5 .
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g]kfn ;/sf/ af6 7]lsPsf] ;+Vofdf /xg]5g\ .

h]n/ / cGo sd{rf/Lsf] st{Jo M -!_ h]n/sf] st{Jo b]xfo adf]lhdsf]

x'g]5 M–
-s_ sf/fuf/sf] ;a} ldl;n, lstfa, sfuhft Pj+ dfn;fdfgx¿ / of] P]g jf o;
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dfn;fdgx¿ ;'/lIft ¿kn] /fVg],

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s'/fsf] /]vb]v ug]{,
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sfg'gdf n]lvP adf]lhdsf] c¿ st{Josf] kfng ug]{ .

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ug'{k5{ / ;DalGwt k|d'v lhNnf clwsf/Lsf] cg'dlt glnO{ ;fwf/0ftof /ftL
sf/fuf/ 5f8L cGt st} hfg x'Fb}g .

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sf/fuf/df To; avt kfnf] kx/fdf /x]sf] kfn] l;kfxLn] hfFrL z+sf nfu]sf]
JolQmsf] tnf;L ;d]t lng' k5{ / s'g} lglif4 j:t' Nofpg jf n}hfg nfu]sf] jf
sf/fuf/sf] s'g} ;DklQ aflx/ n}hfg nfu]sf] km]nf k/]df h]n/nfO{ t'?Gt ;f]
s'/fsf] ;"rgf lbg'k5{ .

-$_ sf/fuf/sf s'g} sd{rf/L h]n/ jf ;DalGwt k|d'v lhNnf clwsf/Lsf] cg'dlt
ljgf sf/fuf/af6 cg'kl:yt /xg x'Fb}g .

-%_ sf/fuf/sf sd{rf/Lx¿sf] cGo st{Jo tf]lsPadf]lhd x'g]5 .

sf/fuf/sf] hfFr M -!_ k|To]s k|d'v lhNnf clwsf/Ln] cfkm} jf cfkm"
d'lgsf cl;i6]06 k7fpg]5 . ^ dlxgfdf Ps k6s / cfjZos b]v]df hlxn];'s}
klg cfˆgf] dftxtdf /x]sf] sf/fuf/sf] hfFr ug'{ u/fpg' k5{ .
-@_ pkbkmf -!_ cGtu{t hfFr ug{ uPsf k|d'v lhNnf clwsf/L jf
cl;i6]06n] b]xfosf s'/fx¿sf] hfFr ug'{k5{ M–
-s_ s}b Dofb 7]lsPsf] s}bLn] Dofb k'u]sf] lbg l/xfO{ kfPsf] 5 jf 5}g,
-v_ k|rlnt g]kfn sfg'g adf]lhd x'g' ug'{ kg]{ c¿ sfd s'/f ;f] adf]lhd eP
u/]sf] 5 jf 5}g .
-#_ pkbkmf -@_ adf]lhdsf] s'/f hfFRbf s'g} sfd s'/f k|rlnt g]kfn
sfg'gsf] jlv{nfk eP u/]sf] b]lvPdf bkmf @) df n]lvPsf]df ;f]xL
adf]lhd / ;f] bkmfdf gn]lvPsf] s'/fdf tf]lsP adf]lhdsf] sfd sf/jfxL
ug{ u/fpg k5{ .
 Nepal Law and Prison Reform
The Prison Act, 2019 and the Prison Rules, 2019 have made the following
provisions for reform of the prison system.
1. Classification of prisoners on the basis of age, sex, state of health, nature of
crime and status of trial etc. – Section 6 of the Prison Act, 2019.
2. Provision for cottage industries and other skill based jobs inside the
prison. - Rule 21 of the Prison Rules, 2019.
3. Arrangements for promoting social contact of prisoners. –Rules 26 & 33.
4. Education and religious teaching inside the prison. – Rules 31 & 32.
5. Evaluation of conduct of prisoners: Besides getting other facilities,
prisoners with good conduct may be recommended for remission of their
sentence up to 25% or recommendation for pardon by the Head of the State
on national days. – Rules 27 & 29.
6. Providing care for the minor children of prisoners. – Sec. 8(2) of the Act.
 Prison administration is under administrative control of CDO and jailer
is responsible for the internal control and administration of prison.