The interim government is considering reducing the term of life imprisonment, which now stands at 30 years, to allow for the release of old and ailing prison inmates, said Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Sunday.
He made this disclosure to the media after a meeting of the core committee on the law-and-order situation held at the Secretariat.
"Among the inmates, many are elderly and suffer from various illnesses. They require different types of medication. We have held discussions on how to release elderly prisoners by reducing the current 30-year life imprisonment term," the adviser said.
"There are many issues within the current prison system which require reform," he added, saying that there is a significant budget shortfall.
On what the revised life term may be, he said, "The exact duration of life imprisonment has not been decided yet. There have been discussions about setting the term to 20 years for women and slightly more for men. The age of the convict must also be considered.
"For instance, if someone committed a crime at the age of 18 and is released after 20 years, there is a possibility that they might commit a crime again. These factors will be taken into account," he added.
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