Nepal Proposes ‘Virtual Jail’ System, GPS Tracking for Prisoners Under New Draft Law

Kathmandu. The government has proposed introducing a 'virtual jail' system as part of a major technology-driven reform of Nepal's justice system. The Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs has included provisions in a draft bill to amend the Criminal Offense (Sentencing and Execution) Act, 2017, allowing eligible offenders to serve their sentences under electronic monitoring.

Under the existing law, courts cannot order convicted individuals to serve their sentences at home while being monitored electronically. However, if the proposed amendment is enacted, eligible prisoners in Nepal will be able to complete their sentences outside prison while wearing GPS-enabled electronic monitoring devices.