Archive · 26 Aug 2026
Madhya Pradesh Prison Reform Law Awaits Rules Approval
Madhya Pradesh passed a new law to change how prisons are run.
The law says prisons should help reform people, not only punish them.
The Governor approved it in August 2024.
However, the law cannot begin until detailed rules are approved.
Those rules must pass through several government departments and committees.
The proposed system would use technology for court appearances and family meetings.
It would also provide legal aid, medical support, training, and help after prisoners are released.
The reforms will start only after the rules are approved and published in the state gazette.
The Madhya Pradesh Sudharatmak Sevayein Evam Bandigrah Adhiniyam, 2024, was passed by the Assembly in July 2024.
The Governor approved the Act on August 6, 2024, but it has not yet come into force.
Rules must clear the prisons department, law department, Senior Secretaries Committee, and Cabinet before gazette publication.
The Act would replace the Prisons Act, 1894, the Prisoners Act, 1900, and the Transfer of Prisoners Act, 1950.
Proposed reforms include open jails, video-conferencing, legal aid, prisoner welfare measures, and rehabilitation services.
- Who
- The Madhya Pradesh government, prison authorities, and prisoners are affected; Varun Kapoor, Director General of prisons and correctional services, said the rules had been drafted.
- What
- A 2024 prison reform law remains on hold while its implementation rules await government approval.
- When
- The Act was passed in July 2024 and received the Governor’s consent on August 6, 2024; the article says it has remained pending for more than two years.
- Where
- Madhya Pradesh, India.
- Why
- The Act cannot come into force until its rules are vetted, approved by the Cabinet, and published in the state gazette.
- Act
- Madhya Pradesh Sudharatmak Sevayein Evam Bandigrah Adhiniyam, 2024
- Assembly approval
- Passed by the Madhya Pradesh Assembly in July 2024
- Governor’s consent
- August 6, 2024
- Status
- Awaiting completion and approval of implementation rules
- Laws replaced
- Prisons Act, 1894; Prisoners Act, 1900; Transfer of Prisoners Act, 1950
- Proposed approach
- Prisons would function as reform and correctional institutions
- Reference framework
- Model Prison Manual 2016, aligned with United Nations standards including the Nelson Mandela Rules