Prison reform in india: narela jail, Delhi (extension for tihar)

Abstract

The concept of prisons was initiated with the aim to put away people who have done wrong in an institution, where they cannot do further harm to the society, or in some cases themselves. However, in many cases instead of being the punishment in itself, imprisonment became a tool for punishment. Over the years, many cases have been reported where the inmates complain about being mistreated or being forced to live in inhumane environments. People conducted various researches and came up with varied theories, the system of prisons saw many reforms (Panopticon by Jeremy Bentham, Standford Prison Experiment by Phillip Zimbardo). These reforms included changes in architectural design, surveillance strategies, role of prisoners, role of prison staff etc. Now the day has come when we have too many criminals and not many prisons to accommodate them. At present, India has an immense shortage of prisons to accommodate its inmates. Even though every year new institutions are being proposed and being constructed very little thought is being put into the fact that why we need so many of them in the first place? Researches have shown that if a prisoner spends his sentence in a reformative and positive environment, chances of recidivism are reduced. This can also result in lesser need for new prisons. The question that arises is whether we should keep on building newer prisons on the same principles or think of a better way to design them? The focus has now shifted from punishment to reform and rehabilitation. Dr. Marayca López rightly says that “while it is questionable that the world needs more prisons, it is undeniable that what the world needs are better ones to keep pace with the progress in correctional philosophy and practices”. The design thesis discusses about ‘spaces’ related to prisons and what measures we may take to change the present conditions of prisons in Indian prisons.