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Concept of Open Prisons, Their Main Characteristics, and Indian Scenario: A Review

The document discusses open prisons, their main characteristics, and the scenario in India. Open prisons aim to rehabilitate inmates in society through minimum security and self-discipline. The main features of open prisons include informal living in small groups, promoting social responsibility, job training, family visits, health facilities, and paying inmate wages.

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327 views1 page

Concept of Open Prisons, Their Main Characteristics, and Indian Scenario: A Review

The document discusses open prisons, their main characteristics, and the scenario in India. Open prisons aim to rehabilitate inmates in society through minimum security and self-discipline. The main features of open prisons include informal living in small groups, promoting social responsibility, job training, family visits, health facilities, and paying inmate wages.

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Sri Ram
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© UNIVERSAL RESEARCH REPORTS | REFEREED | PEER REVIEWED

ISSN : 2348 - 5612 | Volume : 05 , Issue : 01 | January – March 2018

Concept of Open Prisons, their main characteristics, and Indian


Scenario : A Review
Bindu Bansal, Research Scholar, Department of Public Administration,
Panjab University, Chandigarh
Abstract : Open prisons are ‘minimum security’ devices for inmates to
rehabilitate them in society after final release. In India, they are popularly
called as open Jails. The concept of Open prisons was first developed in U.K
in the 1930s and was based on the idea of ‘carrots’ rather than ‘sticks’. The
United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, popularly known as
the Nelson Mandela Rules, laid down the objectives of open prisons stating, that such prisons
provide no physical security against escape but rely on the self-discipline of the inmates,
provide the conditions most favorable to the rehabilitation of carefully selected prisoners.
Key Words : Open prisons, Nelson Mandela Rules
Introduction : Criminologists have expressed different views about the definition of open
prison. Some scholars have preferred to call these institution as open air camps, open Jail or
parole-camp. The United Nations Congress on Prevention of Crime and Treatment of
Offenders held in Geneva in 1955, however, made an attempt to define an open prison thus :
“ An open institution is characterised by the absence of material and Physical
precautions against escape such as walls, locks, bars and armed-guards etc.,
and by a system based on self-discipline and innate sense of responsibility
towards the group in which he lives.”
Main Characteristics of Open prisons :
The main features of an open prison institution may be summarized as follows :-
1. Informal and institutional living in small groups with minimum measure of custody.
2. Efforts to promote consciousness among inmates about their social responsibilities.
3. Adequate facilities for training inmates in agriculture and other related occupations.
4. Greater opportunities for inmates to meet their relatives and friends so that they can solve
their domestic problems by mutual discussion.
5. Liberal remissions to the extent of fifteen days in a month.
6. Proper attention towards the health and recreational facilities for inmates.
7. Management of open Jail institutions by especially qualified and well trained personnel.
8. Improved diet with arrangement for special diet for weak and sick inmates.
9. Payment of wages in part to the inmates and sending part of it to his family.

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