Srinagar, July 23 -- The directive to frame a policy for the release of elderly and terminally ill prisoners is not a routine pronouncement; it is a reminder that justice must remain tied to humanity. Incarceration is meant to uphold law, ensure accountability, and allow space for reform. But when age and illness strip a person of strength, continued confinement risks becoming punishment without purpose. A system that claims to protect rights cannot allow its prisons to become places where vulnerability is ignored.

The demand for a uniform definition of terminal illness, independent medical boards, and time-bound procedures is not an administrative detail. It is a safeguard against delay and arbitrariness. Without such clarity, relief re...