Jharkhand High Court Activates Oversight on Prison Reforms, Orders State to Set Up OCI Monitoring Committee Within Four Weeks
W.P.(PIL) No. 2273 of 2026
By Navya Tiwari
In a significant step towards enforcing prison reform, the Jharkhand High Court has initiated a suo motu Public Interest Litigation, W.P. PIL No. 2273 of 2026, titled Court on its own Motion versus The State of Jharkhand. The bench comprising the Chief Justice M. S. Sonak and Justice Rajesh Shankar passed the order dated 13 April 2026.
The case arises from directions issued by the Supreme Court of India in Writ Petition Civil No. 1082 of 2020 through its judgment dated 26 February 2026. The Supreme Court had emphasized the need for active judicial monitoring to ensure effective implementation of its earlier directions concerning prison conditions and reforms, particularly referencing its 2018 decision in In Re Inhuman Conditions in 1382 Prisons.
Acting in compliance with these directions, the Jharkhand High Court has registered this petition as a continuing mandamus to oversee the establishment, functioning, and expansion of Operational Correctional Institutes or OCIs within the state.
The Supreme Court’s framework mandates a multi tier monitoring mechanism. It requires all High Courts to supervise compliance, while directing every State and Union Territory to constitute a Monitoring Committee for OCI management. This committee is to be headed by the Executive Chairman of the State Legal Services Authority or a nominee, including a former High Court judge. Its members must include the Home Secretary or a nominee not below the rank of Additional Secretary, and a senior Prisons Department officer not below the rank of Deputy Inspector General.
The Monitoring Committee is tasked with ensuring compliance with court directions, overseeing OCI functioning and expansion, facilitating timely transfer of eligible prisoners from closed prisons, and periodically reviewing implementation challenges.
In line with these directives, the Jharkhand High Court has ordered the State to constitute the Monitoring Committee within four weeks. Additionally, the Court has directed the Home Secretary to file a compliance affidavit before the next hearing. This report must confirm the constitution of the committee, provide details on the current status and functioning of OCIs in Jharkhand, and assess the feasibility of establishing more than one OCI in the state.
The Court has scheduled the next hearing for 11 June 2026 at 2:15 pm and directed the registry to immediately supply relevant case documents to the State’s counsel, Mr. Piyush Chitresh, who appeared as Assistant Counsel to the Advocate General.
The order reflects a broader push for institutional accountability through continuous judicial oversight, ensuring that constitutional mandates on prison reforms translate into tangible outcomes on the ground.
