Transcript
PROJECT ON
ANALYZING THE OPEN PRISON SYSTEM: DEFINITION, ORIGIN, INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE & ADVANTAGES OF THE SYSTEM
BACKGROUND
Every person who commits a crime is deemed to punishment but this does not mean that he needs to repay it with his life. And thus he should be given a second chance to a better living and an opportunity to build a life of honour and respect. The study of criminology describes various theories of punishments and the most useful in this regard is the ‘Reformative Theory’. Also with time, and the development in the criminological thinking there is a new scope for a fresh approach, as discussed under the reformative approach where in the reformation of offenders to law abiding members of society. And the concepts of parole correctional device for reformation! and probation rehabilitation of offenders in the community! are recommended as the best measures to reclaim offenders to the society as reformed persons. Thus the governments pursuing the same ob"ective have come up with a concept of ‘#pen $ails’. Though the concept has been in e%istence for &uite some time, but it is still developing and introducing new "unctures to a better life of prisoners.' DEFINITION
An open prison open "ail! is an informal description applied to any penal establishment in which the prisoners are trusted to serve their sentences with minimal supervision and perimeter security and are not locked up in prison cells. (risoners may be permitted to take up employment while serving their sentence. )n the *+, open prisons are often part of a rehabilitation plan for prisoners moved from closed prisons. They may be designated -training prisons- and are only for prisoners considered a low risk to the public. The idea of an open prison is often criticised by members of the public and politicians. /owever, prisoners do not have complete freedom and are only allowed to leave the premises for specific purposes, such as going to an outside "ob. 0
1 Stutsman, J.O. –The prison staf in the Annals o American Academy o political and social science, 1931, P.! " https#$$%%%.&o'.u($lie)in)prison$arri'in&)at)prison* +isited on 1$-9$1 at -"/h 3 Philip 0a'ies, 2t is completely ludicrous that a ser'in& lie)sentence prisoner is e'en in an open prison, 4, -/ 5ay "-1 6r%in James, 7hy lie in an open prison is no holiday camp, The 8uardian, 13 January "-11. +isited on 1$9$"-1 at -"!h
MILESTONES IN THE HISTORY OF PRISONS
*.+. in the 1930’s and the *nited 1tates around the 1940’s first established the system of open "ails. And Sir Alexander Palerson, the member 1ecretary of the (rison 2ommission of *.+. made outstanding contribution to the development of the system.
The basic assumptions supporting the theory were 34 •
A person is sent to prison as a punishment and not for punishment.
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)f the prisoners are given certain freedoms and liberty, they would respond favorably and would not betray the confidence displayed on them. 5ith time the system started to develop and advanced towards new hori6ons. And the closing of the '7th century witnessed the beginning of a new phase, as an emerging concept of a semi4 open prison institution came into view. The first ever prison of this kind was established in 1wit6erland by the name of Witzwill . The feedback followed appreciating the same. OPEN PRISONS IN THE EARLY 1900S
8uring the '7 th century America had open air prisons in which the prisoners who were near to finishing of their sentence would be transferred as laborers, under supervision and close watch of guards. 1ome prison camps were also organi6ed in 9assachusetts and 2alifornia around 1915. And a farm type institution with suitable facilities for work was proposed near the town of 2hino in 1outh 2alifornia, under the guidance of 1tate :oard of (rison 8irectors. /owever the idea of minimum security did not settle with the e%isting (rison :oard, finally in 1938 a new (rison :oard was proposed supporting the ob"ective. ; •
irst *nited e% ?ori@ons in 4riminolo&y, P.!9.
NATURE OF OPEN PRISONS:
1ome aspects describing the nature of open prison institutions in detail, such asC •
)t is open to prisoners, as they can go to work at any place as they wish during the day but have to come back in the eveningC
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)t is open to security, these is absence of bars, locks, walls and armed guards.
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)t is open to organi6ation, working is based on the inmate’s sense of responsibility, self4discipline and self confidenceC and
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)t is open to public, people are free to visit the prison and meet the prisoners. 7
NATIONAL SITUATION
)n )ndia the first ever open air camp was set up attached to the 9odel (rison at @ucknow in 1949. 5hich was soon followed by the ‘ Mauli Ali Agricultural Colony’ for 2onvicts in 1954. And so started the phase of change and development as various states followed the suit by establishing open4prison institutions for the inmates. 1ome of them are as followsC •
An open-air prison at Yarvada, Maharashtra 1955!
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Open Air Jail at Soundatti, Mysore 19682
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Open rison at A!reli, "u#arat 19682
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Open rison at $ettv%etheri, &erela 196#2
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Open Air Agricultural rison at $a'ha, un#a' 19"02
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Open Air rison at Singanallur, (a!il $adu 19562
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risoner’s Open Air Ca!p at Agricultural )esearch *ar! at +urgapur, )a#asthan 19552 Shri Sa!purnanand andi Shivir at Sanganer, Jaipur 19632
DThe state of Ra"asthan has the highest number of open "ails i.e. ten operating within the state )n these "ails there are no restrictions on the prisoners in respect of reading materials and are allowed to access material for the purpose of self nurturing and development of person. They are also allowed to pursue studies through open universities, and special lectures are held within the prisons for the educational development of the inmates.
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A report has showed that by 1993$#000 a total of '07 prisoners were enrolled in various courses through "$O. )ndira ?andhi
