NCJ Number
172974
Date Published
1997
Length
8 pages
Annotation
The author's visits to four prisons in India included interviews with white British inmates to compare the conditions and programs in India's prisons with those in the United Kingdom.
Abstract
The researcher was a member of the Board of Visitors and Prison Service Race Relations Group, was of ancestral Indian origin, and was able to speak 2 of India's 28 distinctive languages. The analysis revealed that more than half of inmates are held under remand and are considered under trial (UT). The average UT time serves is more than 5 years. After this period, courts may grant bail. The four prisons were large and greatly overcrowded. Deli's Tihar Ashram is Asia's largest prison and has 12,000 inmates in an area of more than 500 acres. The low ratio of 1 staff member to 100 inmates resulted from extensive use of trustees and peer support. Daily open-air meetings were held, at which inmate representatives freely discussed grievances with management and tried to resolve problems with mutual respect. Inmate drug treatment was provided through several approaches, including the ancient meditation technique of Vipasna, as well as Ayuverdic and homeopathy. Education and work programs match the needs of the outside world. The atmosphere in prison appeared to be calming and tolerant, despite India's diversity of religions, castes, and cultures. The word "ashram" is preferred to derogatory terms such as "prisons" and "jails." The system has evolved from a basic British foundation. Its superior buildings, meaningful work, basic practical education, maximum use of scarce resources, racial and religious tolerance, and other elements deserve attention in the United Kingdom.