The Tihar jail authorities have decided to release 1,000 prisoners on parole every two months as part of an ongoing drive to decongest Asia’s largest jail, prison sources have said.

“In the wake of a Supreme Court directive, we have decided to release 1,000 inmates on parole every two months to decongest the overcrowded jail amid the pandemic,” a prison official said.

Tihar has nearly 20,000 inmates against the sanctioned strength of 10,000.

In March last year, the Supreme Court had asked all states and Union Territories to set up panels that would consider releasing on parole convicts who have been in jail for up to seven years. The idea was to decongest jails in an attempt to contain coronavirus outbreaks.

The court had suggested that those awaiting trial for offences entailing a maximum sentence of seven years should also be extended a similar benefit.

Parole allows a convict to leave the prison on the condition that he would behave appropriately after release and report back to the jail on termination of the parole period.

Following the apex court order, the Tihar jail authorities had started the process of releasing prisoners last year. This year till June, they had released 1,500 prisoners on parole.

Last year, the jail had released over 5,000 prisoners on emergency bail and parole based on the recommendation of a panel having representatives from the Delhi government, courts and prison authorities.

“Prisoners who surrendered on time after their previous parole period and did not indulge in any unlawful activity will be selected the next time. Last year, nearly 300 of the 5,000 prisoners released on parole or emergency bail had been arrested again for street crimes,” another prison official said.