Lucknow, May 30 (IANS): Nearly 21 convicts in different jails in Uttar Pradesh have refused to take parole because they feel 'safer' inside the prison.

UP DG Jails, Anand Kumar told reporters that 21 convicts in nine prisons of the state have refused parole, citing Covid scare in their districts and said that they were being treated better in the jails of the state.

"We are following complete Covid protocol in the jails and taking utmost care of each prisoner," he said.

Earlier this month, UP prison department had started releasing undertrials and convicts on bail and parole in compliance with the Supreme Court directives to decongest the over-crowded state jails in the wake of Covid infection during the second wave.

UP prisons have so far released 10,123 under trials and convicts on bail and parole in compliance with the Supreme Court directives.

As many as 8,463 under trials were released on interim bails while 1,660 convicts were given a parole of 60 days.

The maximum number of 703 undertrials have been released on bail from Ghaziabad district jail, while maximum convicts (78) have been given parole from Kanpur district jail.