{"id":128538,"date":"2026-10-12T10:56:47","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T05:26:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=128538"},"modified":"2026-10-12T10:56:47","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T05:26:47","slug":"open-prisons-in-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/open-prisons-in-india\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Prisons in India, Total Count, Advantages, Disadvantages"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Open Prisons in India are an important part of the prison reform system, focusing on the rehabilitation and reintegration of prisoners into society. They provide a more flexible environment with fewer security restrictions, encouraging self-discipline, responsibility and personal development.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Open Prisons in India Features<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>Open Prisons in India<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have <\/span><b>minimal security restrictions<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and provide eligible prisoners with greater freedom and responsibility. Their key features focus on <\/span><b>rehabilitation, skill development, self-discipline and social reintegration.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>No walls, bars or armed guards:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Open prisons are <\/span><b>semi-open or open correctional facilities<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that rely on <\/span><b>inmate self-discipline<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>community involvement<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The <\/span><b>Rajasthan Open Air Camp Rules, 1972<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> describe them as \u201cprisons without walls, bars and locks.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Freedom to work outside:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Inmates can leave during fixed hours to earn a living and support their families. In Rajasthan there is a <\/span><b>6 a.m. roll call<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and a <\/span><b>7 p.m. roll call<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and inmates must return before the second one.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Earnings stay with the family:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Inmates spend their wages on their families. Only a small <\/span><b>administrative charge<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> goes to the jail.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Family life is possible:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In <\/span><b>open colonies<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, families can live with the inmate. At <\/span><b>Sanganer (Jaipur)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, convicts build their own houses, pay for water and electricity, and send their children to nearby schools.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Based on the reformative theory of justice:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The thinking is that a convict can change. It rests on the idea of \u201c<\/span><b>trust begets trust<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d and on <\/span><b>Sir Alexander Paterson\u2019s<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> view that a person is sent to prison <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">as<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> punishment, not <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> punishment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Only for convicts, and only selected ones:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Transfer is never automatic. A <\/span><b>screening committee<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> checks <\/span><b>good conduct, physical and mental fitness<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>reform potential<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Most states also require a minimum time in a closed prison: <\/span><b>one-third of the sentence in Rajasthan<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>two-thirds at Anantapur<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><b>five years in some states<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>A State subject:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Prisons fall under <\/span><b>Entry 4, List II (State List) of the Seventh Schedule<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. They are governed by the <\/span><b>Prisons Act, 1894<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the <\/span><b>Prisoners Act, 1900<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and each state\u2019s own rules and manuals.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>A strong track record:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Open prisons have run in India for nearly <\/span><b>eight decades<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with almost no reports of prisoners escaping.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Key dates in history:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>first open prison<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was set up in <\/span><b>1905<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the <\/span><b>Bombay Presidency<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, initially using prisoners as unpaid labour for public works.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Uttar Pradesh was the first state in independent India<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to establish an open-air prison camp, attached to the <\/span><b>Model Prison in Lucknow in 1949.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A full camp followed in <\/span><b>1953<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, where inmates helped build the <\/span><b>Chandraprabha dam<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> near Varanasi.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rajasthan\u2019s first camp opened at <\/span><b>Sanganer in 1963<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. These camps were popularly called <\/span><b>Sampurnanand camps<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, after the reformist leader who promoted them.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>How many exist:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> According to the World Prison Brief, based on National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, India had <\/span><b>103 open jails as of 31 December 2024. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These were spread across the country, with open prisons operating in 17 states, according to earlier reports.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Open Prisons in India Objectives<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Open prisons aim to reform prisoners, develop skills and support their reintegration into society.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Reform, not just punishment:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The main aim is to turn prisoners into <\/span><b>law-abiding citizens<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> through <\/span><b>self-discipline, work and community contact<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Gradual return to society (re-socialisation):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Long years behind bars cut people off from the outside world. Open prisons help inmates <\/span><b>reconnect slowly before release<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In India, this is the main reason convicts are sent to open jails.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Ease prison overcrowding:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Moving suitable convicts to open facilities lowers the load on <\/span><b>closed, high-security prisons<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Protect dignity and human rights:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Supreme Court has held that a person in prison does <\/span><b>not become a \u201cnon-person\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and keeps all human rights within the limits of imprisonment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Build skills and independence:<\/b> <b>Farming, animal husbandry, factory work and vocational training<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> help inmates earn a living after release.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Keep families together:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Staying close to relatives reduces the damage long sentences do to families, especially when the inmate was the <\/span><b>sole breadwinner<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Cut costs:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Open prisons need far less <\/span><b>security staff and infrastructure<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> than closed ones.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Follow global standards:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The UN\u2019s <\/span><b>Nelson Mandela Rules (2015)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> support rehabilitation, employment and contact with the outside world. The idea of open penal institutions was discussed at the <\/span><b>first UN Congress on crime prevention in Geneva (1955)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and the <\/span><b>All India Jail Manual Committee (1957-59)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> recommended them for India.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Types of Open Prisons in India and Their Functioning<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Open Prisons in India vary in their security levels and degree of freedom, offering prisoners opportunities for work, skill development and rehabilitation.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Model Prison Manual<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> classifies open institutions into three types, arranged in rising order of freedom.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Semi-open training institutions:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are attached to closed prisons, just beyond the enclosed perimeter, with <\/span><b>moderate security<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inmates who show <\/span><b>reform potential<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are prepared here for transfer to fuller open facilities.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Open training institutions \/ work camps:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are set up where public work is needed, such as <\/span><b>digging canals, building dams, roads and government buildings, land reclamation, afforestation and soil conservation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inmates learn <\/span><b>vocational skills<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> while doing useful work.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Open colonies:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is the <\/span><b>most liberal type<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><b>Family members can live with inmates<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inmates and families work in <\/span><b>agriculture or cottage industries<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, with wages <\/span><b>at par with outside rates<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Inmates must support themselves and their families from these wages.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Common rules across types:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every institution has a <\/span><b>clearly marked boundary<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that inmates cannot cross.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Minimum standards<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for accommodation, sanitation, hygiene, food and medical care must match those of closed prisons.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inmates usually earn <\/span><b>higher wages<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and get extra concessions like <\/span><b>remission, leave and review<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. They can read freely and study through <\/span><b>open universities<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Selection in Maharashtra<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (<\/span><b>Maharashtra Open Prison Rules, 1971<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">):<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A committee of the <\/span><b>Inspector General, Deputy Inspector General<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and the <\/span><b>Superintendents<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the closed and open prisons decides.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It looks at <\/span><b>good behaviour, mental and physical fitness<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>period of imprisonment<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and can consider <\/span><b>special cases<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> even if a prisoner is technically ineligible.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Selection in Rajasthan:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Jail Superintendent sends a list to the <\/span><b>Open Air Camp Advisory Committee<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which decides.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each camp has its own <\/span><b>panchayat of 5 to 7 inmates<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, chosen by the prisoners, who handle daily management. This builds <\/span><b>communication and leadership<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Himachal Pradesh<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> works much like Rajasthan but also bars <\/span><b>rape convicts<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and those with other heinous offences.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Well-known open prisons:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Sanganer (Rajasthan):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> about 25 km from Jaipur, run by very few guards. Convicts live with their families and work within a <\/span><b>10 km radius<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a <\/span><b>1,427-acre<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> campus where inmates grow crops and a <\/span><b>medicinal herb<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> supplied to a pharma company.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Nettukaltheri (Kerala):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> around <\/span><b>300 acres<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, where even murderers work on a <\/span><b>rubber plantation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for wages. Inmates get regular <\/span><b>home leave<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and rubber sales cover the running costs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Others:<\/b> <b>Yerwada, Akola, Kolhapur, Paithan, Sangamner and Bikaner<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The <\/span><b>Tihar Semi-Open Jail (Delhi)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is also seen as a good example.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Where open jails fit in the wider system:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India has <\/span><b>sub-jails, district jails and central jails<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, plus <\/span><b>special jails, women\u2019s jails, Borstal schools<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (for juveniles) and <\/span><b>open jails<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Central jails<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> usually hold long-term convicts, often those serving <\/span><b>more than two years<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Open Prisons in India Advantages and Disadvantages<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Open prisons promote <\/span><b>prisoner rehabilitation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, reduce <\/span><b>overcrowding<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and help inmates develop <\/span><b>skills<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for successful reintegration into society.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Advantages of Open Prisons in India<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Much cheaper to run:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A <\/span><b>Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority (RSLSA)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> study found a closed prison cost about <\/span><b>\u20b97,094 per prisoner per month<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Jaipur Central), against about <\/span><b>\u20b9500<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at <\/span><b>Sanganer open prison<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, roughly <\/span><b>78 times cheaper<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Only <\/span><b>one staff member<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was needed per <\/span><b>80 prisoners<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and the <\/span><b>Supreme Court<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has also noted a similar gap of over <\/span><b>\u20b93,000<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> versus about <\/span><b>\u20b950<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> per inmate.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Less overcrowding:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> On <\/span><b>31 December 2018<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, India&#8217;s prisons held <\/span><b>4,66,084 inmates<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> against a capacity of <\/span><b>3,96,223<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, an <\/span><b>occupancy rate of 117.6%<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Open prisons take some of this load and improve living conditions in closed jails.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Lower chance of reoffending (recidivism):<\/b> <b>Stigma<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, lack of skills and failure to reintegrate push many ex-prisoners back to crime. Open prisons tackle this through <\/span><b>work, training and family contact<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Better mental health and real life skills:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Gainful work builds <\/span><b>self-confidence and self-esteem<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, while <\/span><b>farming, dairy, rubber tapping, factory work and teaching<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> give inmates a <\/span><b>livelihood after release<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Support for families and vulnerable groups:<\/b> <b>Visits, family stays and home leave<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> let families <\/span><b>share the burden of reform<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In <\/span><b><i>Dharmbir v. State of UP<\/i><\/b><b> (1979)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the Supreme Court saw benefits for <\/span><b>young offenders<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><b>elderly prisoners<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can also ease back into normal life.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Safe, trusted and useful to society:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Studies found inmates <\/span><b>did not escape even without a security barricade<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and open prisons also lower the <\/span><b>health risk<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of epidemics like <\/span><b>COVID-19<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in crowded jails. Inmates can work on <\/span><b>rural public works and conservation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which benefits the community too.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Disadvantages of Open Prisons in India<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Under-use despite overcrowding:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> As of <\/span><b>2015<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, open prisons had room for <\/span><b>25,776 inmates<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> but held only <\/span><b>3,786<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and many states have an open prison with <\/span><b>no inmates at all<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Uneven spread across states:<\/b> <b>Rajasthan and Maharashtra<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> hold around <\/span><b>60%<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of open-prison inmates, while states like <\/span><b>Goa, Haryana, Jharkhand, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Telangana<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> had none. Because prisons are a <\/span><b>State subject<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, standards differ widely.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Strict and sometimes arbitrary eligibility rules:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Exclusions can cover <\/span><b>women, narcotics convicts, people with a history of mental illness<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and those convicted of <\/span><b>sedition or crimes against the army<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><b>Rajasthan<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> adds limits on <\/span><b>age and marital status<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Such rules shut out many who need rehabilitation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>No accountability in selection:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Committees are <\/span><b>not required to give reasons<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which can lead to <\/span><b>bias and corruption<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><b>Undertrials<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>fresh convicts<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are also left out of the system.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Land shortage and social stigma:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Open prisons need <\/span><b>large areas of land<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which is hard to find today, and society is slow to accept ex-convicts, making <\/span><b>jobs and rehabilitation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> harder.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Weak laws and political will:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The <\/span><b>Prisons Act, 1894<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has colonial roots and puts custody ahead of reform. Without strict screening and supervision, open prisons may also turn into <\/span><b>poorly monitored work camps<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Role of Open Prisons in Prison Reforms and Rehabilitation of Prisoners<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>A shift from punishment to reform:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Prison thinking has moved from <\/span><b>confinement to training<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>restriction to re-education<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>retribution to rehabilitation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Open prisons are the clearest form of this change in India.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Long-standing support from committees and courts:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The <\/span><b>All India Prison Reforms Committee (1980)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> recommended open prisons across states, and the <\/span><b>NHRC<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> pushed for them in its reports of <\/span><b>1994-95 and 2000-01<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In <\/span><b><i>Ramamurthy v. State of Karnataka<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (1996\/1997), the Supreme Court called them one of the most successful uses of <\/span><b>individualisation of penalties<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for <\/span><b>social readjustment<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Tied to the Constitution:<\/b> <b>Article 14<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (equality), <\/span><b>Article 15<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (non-discrimination) and <\/span><b>Article 21<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (life and dignity) apply inside prison walls too.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Latest Supreme Court directions on access and inclusion<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in <\/span><b><i>Suhas Chakma v. Union of India<\/i><\/b><b>, WP (C) No. 1082\/2020<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, by <\/span><b>Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: States and UTs <\/span><b>without OCIs<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> must study feasibility and frame procedures, or arrange transfers to nearby states. <\/span><b>Barracks and capacity for women inmates<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> must be created within <\/span><b>three months<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and broad security concerns cannot justify excluding women.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Latest Supreme Court directions on fairness and monitoring:<\/b> <b>Eligibility criteria<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> must be reviewed using the <\/span><b>nature of the offence, reform potential and conduct<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, so OCIs do not become mere <\/span><b>labour camps<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and states should learn from <\/span><b>Maharashtra and Rajasthan<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Transfer back to a closed prison <\/span><b>cannot be a routine punishment<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, every state must set up <\/span><b>grievance redressal systems<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><b>monitoring committees<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> headed by the <\/span><b>State Legal Services Authority<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> chair will oversee compliance, with <\/span><b>High Courts<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> starting <\/span><b>suo motu<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> cases as <\/span><b>continuing mandamus<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>A global and Gandhian model:<\/b> <b>Norway, Finland, the UK (Category D prisons)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>Spain<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> run open or semi-open systems with low reoffending, with early examples like <\/span><b>Switzerland&#8217;s Witzwill (1891)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and the <\/span><b>UK&#8217;s New Hall Camp (1936)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In India, open prisons also resemble <\/span><b>Gandhian ashrams<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, built on shared work and character building.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>What success needs:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Strong <\/span><b>screening, supervision and trained staff<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, along with <\/span><b>legal aid, tie-ups with welfare agencies, community support<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and regular data on reoffending, jobs and costs. With <\/span><b>uniform rules, fairer selection and wider coverage<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, open prisons can make Indian prisons more <\/span><b>humane and effective<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Open Prisons in India promote prisoner rehabilitation through skill development, family support and reduced security, helping inmates reintegrate into society and easing prison overcrowding.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":128232,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[786],"tags":[10814],"class_list":["post-128538","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-general-studies","tag-open-prisons-in-india","no-featured-image-padding"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128538","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=128538"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128538\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":128546,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128538\/revisions\/128546"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/128232"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=128538"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=128538"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=128538"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}