THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government issued notification after deciding not to grant natural parole or emergency parole to prisoners engaged in drug cases. The jail rules were amended following intelligence information that the accused in drug cases go on parole and involve in the sale of drugs.

Parole is usually not given to those convicted in drug cases. Some convicted in drug cases had approached the high court pointing that justice was being denied to them. On the basis of the court verdict, prisoners in drug cases also started getting parole and emergency parole.

The parole granted to a prisoner in ordinary cases is 60 days in a year. Parole will be obtained in emergency situations like treatment of relatives, marriage, death. The prisoners convicted had also received this. The police and excise received information that the prisoners on parole plan smuggling of drugs again. They also plan drug smuggling inside the jail also. Considering this situation, the government has decided to amend the prison rules and make them stricter.

The new amendment will not give any leave to prisoners in drug cases. There are 452 people convicted in drug cases in the state's central jails. As per Supreme Court verdict, those convicted in drug cases are not eligible for remission of sentence. Meantime, the jail employees are concerned that inmates without parole will cause more unrest inside the prison.