Annual Report 1999-2000
3.62 The guidelines cover matters related to the composition of the State Sentence
Review Board, the periodicity of its meetings, the eligibility/ineligibility criteria for
considering premature release, procedure for processing the cases for consideration by
the Review Board and the procedure and guidelines for the Review Board. The salient
points of the guidelines are as follows:
(A) Eligibility criteria for premature release:
i. Every convicted prisoner, whether male or female, undergoing sentence of life
imprisonment and covered by the provisions of Section 433A Cr.PC, shall be
eligible to be considered for premature release from the prison immediately after
serving out the sentence of 14 years of actual imprisonment, ie without the
remissions.
ii. All other convicted male prisoners undergoing the sentence of life imprisonment
shall be considered for premature release after they have served at least 14 years
of imprisonment, inclusive of remissions, and after completion of 10 years actual
imprisonment, ie without remissions.
iii. All other convicted female prisoners undergoing the sentence of life imprisonment
shall be considered for premature release after they have served at least 10 years
of imprisonment, inclusive of remissions, and after completion of 7 years actual
imprisonment, ie without remissions.
iv. Convicted prisoners undergoing the sentence of life imprisonment on attaining
the age of 65 years, provided he or she has served at least 7 years of imprisonment
including the remissions.
V. The convicted prisoners undergoing the sentence of imprisonment for life and
\vho are suffering from terminal diseases like cancer, TB, AIDS, irreversible kidney
failure, cardio-respiratory disease, leprosy and any other infectious disease as
certified by a Board of Doctors on completion of 5 years of actual sentence or 7
years of sentence including remissions.
(B) Ineligibility criteria for premature release:
i. Prisoners convicted of the offences such as rape, dacoity, terrorist crimes etc.
ii. Prisoners who have been convicted for organised murders in a premeditated
manner and in an organized manner.
iii. Professional murderers who have been foimd guilty of mmxler after having been hired
to do so.
iv. Convicts ^vho commit murder while involved in smuggling operations, or having
committed the murder of public servants on duty.
The full text of the guidelines is at Annexure VIII.
3.63 The Commission hopes that with greater uniformity in proceedings, cases of
premature release will be considered in time by all States. It also considers that, with
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