Shillong, Dec 19: The Meghalaya Cabinet on Friday approved a new jail remission policy aimed at simplifying and expanding the process for the early release of prisoners, in line with recent directions of the Supreme Court.

Announcing the decision after the Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said the policy has been notified as part of a nationwide exercise to streamline remission procedures across states.

“The Cabinet has approved the notification of the remission policy as per the mandate of the Supreme Court. All states are working on this to basically make the process simpler and to allow the superintendent of the jail to act suo moto if he or she feels a convict’s punishment should be reduced or the person released,” Sangma told reporters.

Under the revised policy, prison superintendents have been empowered to initiate remission proceedings on their own, without waiting for a formal request from the prisoner’s family.

“Earlier, a family member had to write and only then would the case be taken up. Now, the superintendent of the prison can, on his or her own, consider genuine cases for remission,” the Chief Minister said.

Sangma clarified that while the core legal framework governing remission remains unchanged, the new policy introduces procedural reforms to ensure efficiency and timely consideration of cases.

“Yes, those provisions are there. As per the new laws, the basic framework remains untouched, but the process has been streamlined with these small reforms,” he added.

The move is expected to ease procedural delays and ensure that deserving cases of remission are considered in a more proactive and humane manner, while continuing to adhere to established legal safeguards.