Sambalpur: In a bid to avoid the spread of coronavirus inside jail premises, Sambalpur circle jail has come up with special quarantine wards for new prisoners.
The jail authorities said there were 60 prisoners in these quarantine wards as of Monday.
Those who are presently being arrested and sent to the jail custody are initially being kept in these quarantine wards for a mandatory period of 14 days before being shifted to the general wards. So far 90 such prisoners have already spent their quarantine period and are now in general wards, the jail authorities added.
“As many as 50 prisoners have been sent to Biramaharajpur jail in Subarnapur district and 20 others to Sohela jail in Bargarh district,” the jail authorities further informed while adding more inmates will be shifted in coming days.
Prior to this, there were 752 inmates in the jail. While 160 are serving their terms, 592 are under trials. The jail, meanwhile, has a capacity of 541.
Informing about other measures taken to protect inmates, the jail officials said the entire jail has been sanitised and social distancing and other rules are strictly being enforced.
