Porvorim: Govt on Tuesday passed the Goa Prisons and Correctional Services Bill, 2026, aimed at tightening surveillance to curb organised crime inside prisons, enabling probes into sexual harassment complaints, and creating open and semi-open correctional institutions. Chief minister Pramod Sawant said the foundation stone for an open prison will be laid this month.Under the Bill, govt will install advanced cellular jamming and detection solutions in jails to prevent unauthorised cell phone use. It also allows electronic monitoring of prisoners on temporary release or leave through inmate-tracking devices. The Bill assigns responsibility to the inspector general of prisons and correctional services, along with the police, to protect society from the criminal activities of high-risk prisoners, habitual offenders, and hardened criminals.Opposition leader Yuri Alemao demanded draft implementation rules, clarity on criteria for “hardcore” criminals, and an independent authority to investigate complaints while protecting complainants’ identities. He alleged drugs are available in jails and prisoners’ videos reach social media, and questioned safeguards for undertrial prisoners and accountability for assaults.Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai urged Goa not to adopt a “2023 model law” in 2026 without incorporating Supreme Court’s latest prison-reform directions. He called for mandatory open prisons, independent prison monitoring, stronger custodial death investigations, meaningful wage savings for prisoners, an independent grievance mechanism, data privacy safeguards, removal of outdated terms such as “sodomy”, enforceable rehabilitation provisions, and an annual prison report in the assembly.
