THE GOOD CONDUCT PRISONERS’ PROBATIONAL RELEASE

RULES, 1927

CONTENTS

1. Short title.
2. Definitions.
3. The status of the Assistant Director and Parole Officer.
4. Conditional Release
5. Powers and duties of the Assistant Director.
6. Duties of Parole Officers.
7. Revocation of license.
8. Final release of prisoner on parole.
9. Classes of offenders eligible for conditional release.
 TEXT
THE GOOD CONDUCT PRISONERS’ PROBATIONAL RELEASE RULES,
1927
[27th April, 1927]
(Notification of the Government of the Punjab, Home Department (Jail) vide No.13273, dated
27th April, 1927 as corrected up to 22nd May, 2008).
With reference to Punjab Government Notification No.10195 dated 30th March, 1927, and in
exercise of the powers conferred by section 5, 6 & 8 of the Good Conduct Prisoners’
Probational Release Act, 1926 the Governor in council is pleased to make the following rules
which will come into force on the 1st May, 1927.
RULES
1. Short title.- These rules may be called the Good Conduct Prisoners, Probtional Release
Rules 1927.
2. Definition. In these rules unless the context otherwise, requires the following expressions
shall have the meaning hereby respectively assigned to them i.e. to say:-
a) “Act” means the Good Conduct Prisoners’ Probational Release Act, 1926.
b) “Director, “Reclamation and Probation” means the Director, Reclamation and
Probation of the Punjab.
c) “Government” means the Government of the Punjab.
d) Parole Officer means an officer appointed by the Director, Reclamation and
Probation, to assist the Assistant Director, Reclamation and Probation in the
discharge of his duties under this act.
e) “Superintendent” means the Superintendent of a prison in which any prisoner or
prisoners to be released under the Act, or confined, or any other officer, specially
authorized in this behalf by the Government and
f) “Assistant Director” means the Assistant Director, Reclamation and Probation of
a Division.
3. The status of the Assistant Director and Parole Officer.-The “Assistant Director
and “Parole Officer” shall be taken to be “Government Officer” within the meaning of section
2, 7 and 8 of the Act.
4. Conditional Release.- The Assistant Director, Reclamation and Probation, may, at
any time, after consultation with the Superintendent release of well or otherwise prepare a list
of the prisoners, who are well behaved person. Their antecedents or conduct in prison
appears to be likely, if released from prison, to abstain from crime and to lead a useful and
industrious life, and may forward a list of such prisoners to the Government through the
Director, Reclamation and Probation, with his recommendation for their release under the Act.
The Government may thereupon permit all or any of such prisoners to be released by license
under section 2 of the Act.
(b) A license under section-2 of the Act shall in Form “A” (Form 2.1) herewith
annexed, and shall contain the conditions stated therein.
(c) No prisoner shall be released from a prison unless the conditions of the license
are personally explained to him by The Superintendent and are accepted by
him. The fact that the condition were so explained to the prisoner and were
accepted by him shall be certified on the license by the Superintendent.
5. Powers and duties of the Assistant Director.- (a) The Assistant Director shall be
generally responsibly for the supervision, direction and control of all prisoners released
under the Act.
(b) Subject to any general or special orders issued by the Director Reclamation and
Probation, in this behalf the Assistant Director may place any prisoner released
under the Act under the authority of a Parole Officer and may delegate to him
any of the duties in respect of such prisoners.
6. Duties of Parole Officers.- (a) Parole Officer shall work under the control of the
Assistant Director and shall perform such duties and exercise such powers as may be
assigned to them by that officer.
(b) With the permission of the Assistant Director a Parole Officer may allow any
prisoner placed under his authority to be employed by any person on rates of
wages approved by the Assistant Director and shall take from the employers an
agreement (Form 3.14) in writing embodying the conditions of employment. The
Parole Officer shall be responsible in such cases for seeing that suitable
agreements are made for the lodging of the prisoners in sanitary conditions and
for enforcing payment of the moderation and other conditions of the
agreements.
(c) A Parole Officer shall be generally responsible for the conduct and discipline of
every prisoner placed under his authority and for his due observance of the
conditions of his license. He shall report any breach of conditions of a license by
a prisoner to the Assistant Director.
Note— for the duties assigned to a Parole Officer, see executive orders 2, 3, 5, 16, 21-34,
40, 43-45, 47 and 49-56 annexed with these Rules.
7. Revocation of license.- (a). If on the report of a Parole Officer or otherwise, the
Assistant Director finds that any prisoner has been guilty of a breach of conditions of his
license or considers that he is unfit to be allowed to remain at large under the license, he
shall report the matter through the Director, Reclamation and Probation and the
Government may thereupon revoke his license.
(b) When the Assistant Director or Parole Officer decides to recommend the
revocation of the license of a prisoner, he may order his arrest and detention in
such place and subject to such restrictions as may be prescribed by the
Government in this behalf, pending the receipt of the orders of Government, and
if the license is revoked, may send him from the charge of a Parole Officer to the
Superintendent of the jail mentioned in the revocation order, on or before the
date specified therein.
(c) An order of revocation under section 6 of the Act, shall be in “Form B” (Form
2.2), herewith annexed and shall be served upon the prisoner by the Assistant
Director, a Parole Officer or a Superintendent of jail. The Assistant Director, the
Parole Officer, or the Superintendent of the Jail, as the case may be shall
explain the order to the prisoner and shall certify the fact that the orders have
been so explained, before the revocation order. A note as regards the
revocation shall also be made on the original license.
8. Final release of prisoner on parole.- on the expiry of the period of a license,
otherwise than by revocation, the Assistant Director or any other Parole Officer authorized by
him in this behalf, shall forthwith inform the licensee that he is absolved from the observance
of all the conditions of license and shall make a note to that effect on the license.
9. Classes of offenders eligible for conditional release.- (1) The following classes of
offenders shall be eligible for conditional release under the Act:-
(a) First Offenders who have been convicted of the following Offences and
sentenced to imprisonment exceeding 2 years, if the unexpired period of
sentence is not more than 6 months;
i Offences under Chapter V-A, VI and VII and Section 216-A, 303, 311,
328, 364, 386 to 389, 392-402, 411, 455, 458 to 460 of the Pakistan
Penal Code;
ii Offences under the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1908; and
iii Offences under the Explosive Substances Act, 1908;
(b) Offenders who have been convicted of offences other than those mentioned in
clause (a) above and sentenced to imprisonment for a period not exceeding 3
years;
(c) Prisoners whose age on the date of their latest sentence does not exceed
twenty one years.
 Provided that in a case of his conviction for offences mentioned in (a) above
he satisfies the conditions laid down therein.
(d) offenders who have been convicted for offences other than those mentioned in
clause (a) above and sentenced to imprisonment for a period shown below in
Column-A and have undergone imprisonment for a period not less than that
shown below in Column-B.
(A) (B)
Term of Sentence Minimum Period of imprisonment
already undergone.
1. Exceeding 3 years but not 1. One third of substantive sentence
exceeding 7 years. excluding remission
2. Exceeding 7 years but not 2. One third of substantive sentence
exceeding 10 years. excluding remission
1
3. Exceeding 10 years but not 3. One third of the substantive
exceeding 14 years including life excluding remission other than
imprisonment commuted to 14 educational remission.
years. 2
4. Ten years of the substantive
4. Life imprisonment exceeding 14 excluding remission other than
years. educational remission.
(2) Rule 9-A shall be omitted.
Note (i) Members of notified Criminal Tribes are not to be released even if eligible under
rule -9 without the special permission of the Director.
(ii) Police Rule 23.35 (3) provides that no surveillance should be exercised by the
police over parole released convicts.

1
Vide amendment in the Rules No. SO(R&P)21-1/2007 dated 22-5-2008
2
Vide amendment in the Rules No. SO(R&P)21-1/2007 dated 22-5-2008