Panaji, Sep 29 (TOI): In a bid to introduce reforms in jails, a team from the academy of prison and correctional administration, Vellore, Tamil Nadu is currently in Goa to conduct an audit of the state's three jails, the central jail in Colvale, Vasco's Sada jail and the Mapusa lock-up where mostly undertrials are lodged.

Elvis Gomes, inspector general of prisons (IGP) told TOI that while prisons in other states had marched forward in introducing reforms, Goa is lagging behind. After visiting the three prisons, the team will prepare a report indicating what remedial measures need to be taken. "They will suggest what changes have to be introduced in the prison here," he said.

Gomes added that in prisons elsewhere, there is a system to evaluate the performance of convicts serving long jail terms. If there is marked improvement in the behavior of a convict, there is a provision to release him/her. There is no such scope for convicts serving sentence in Goan prisons.

There are around 120 convicts at the Colvale jail and 315 undertrials including 30 convicts at Sada jail and 100 undertrials at the Mapusa jail.

The new, modern Colvale jail will house all jail mates including undertrials. Gomes said that the process of shifting undertrials and convicts from Sada jail to the Colvale jail would start in the first week of October.

The shifting was deferred as some inmates and jail guards at Colvale had contracted malaria infection. With some portions of the Colvale jail still under construction, the accumulation of water during monsoon was an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes. Gomes has given instruction to ensure there are no mosquitoes breeding on the jail premise.