THE PROBLEM OF PRISONERS IN INDIA: STATUS AND CHALLENGES

Abstract

Prison is the place where criminals are detained until their trial is completed or when a court of law convicts them. In modern times prison is seen as a correctional servicethat reforms and rehabilitates criminals into better people. Prison is like a home with high security, rigour living, and no freedom for prisoners yet prisoners are living there. Society expects that wrongdoers should be kept away from society so that they may not harm more hence they are taken to prison where along with other punishment other reformative measures are also taken, although prison is also a form of punishment that was not so common in earlier times. Earlier when kings used to rule, they used to believe that God would serve justice hence there were punishments like drinking poisons, walking on burning coals, beating with weapons, etc. with the hope that if the suspect has not done anything wrong God would save him when the time changes people change and their mentality also changed, and it was Britishers who launched prison as a form of punishment whereas earlier prison was only used for detaining till the trial is done. In modern times correctional services and rehabilitation is important aspect ofthe criminal justice system in India.