Conditions of Indian Prisons and the Needed Reformations

After the Indian Independence, the Constitution of India placed “Jail” along with ‘Police and law and order’ in the State list of the Seventh Schedule. As a result of this, the Union Government had literally no responsibility of modernising prisons and to look after their administration. Unfortunately, even the Five Year Plans offered a very low priority to prison administration and jail reforms.

The treatment of prisoners on psychological and psychiatric basis received some attention as a measure of prison reform during 1950′s. It was realised that the rehabilitative activities of the modem prison should generally be of two kinds, namely; (1) psychological and psychiatric treatment; and (2) educational or vocational training programmes. The case-work service is the operating instrumentality that makes these more specialised forms of treatment effective in practice. This view also finds support in the prison philosophy advocated by eminent criminologist G.B Void.

The Government of India invited Dr. W.C. Reckless, a technical expert of the United Nations on crime prevention and treatment of offenders, to make recommendations on prison reforms in 1951. Thereafter, a Committee was appointed to prepare an All India Jail Manual in 1957 on the basis of the suggestions made by Dr. Walter Reckless. An All India conference of Inspector General of Prisons of the States was also convened. Consequent to these efforts, following major policy guidelines regarding reformation and rehabilitation of prisoners were unanimously accepted:—

1. The correctional services should form an integral part of the Home Department of each State and a Central Bureau of Correctional Services should be established at the Centre.

2. The reformative methods of probation and parole should be used to reduce the burden on prisons.

3. State After-Care units should be set up in each State.

4. Solitary confinement as a mode of punishment should be abolished.

5. Classification of prisoners for the purpose of their treatment was necessary.

6. The State Jail Manuals should be revised periodically.