NCJ Number
51319
Journal
Indian Journal of Social Work Volume: 35 Issue: 2 Dated: (JULY 1974) Pages: 137-148
Date Published
1974
Length
12 pages
Annotation
THE INFORMATION PROVIDED ON WOMEN PRISONERS IN INDIA INCLUDES PRISON POPULATION INCREASE IN THE EARLY AND MID-1960'S COMPARED TO MEN, PRISON CONDITIONS, TYPE OF OFFENSES, AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS.
Abstract
INFORMATIONAL GAPS ARE NOTED IN THE STUDY'S EFFORT TO GATHER COMPREHENSIVE DATA ON FEMALE OFFENDERES IN INDIA. AVAILABLE NATIONAL DATA ON THE SUBJECT COVER ONLY THE YEARS 1961-1965. EVEN THIS DATA SUFFER FROM A LACK OF UNIFORMITY BECAUSE IT IS COMPILED FROM 12 STATES AND 2 UNION TERRITORIES THAT HAVE VARYING PROCEDURES AND COMPETENCIES IN RECORDKEEPING. THE DATA AVAILABLE INDICATE THAT THE WOMEN PRISONER POPULATION IN INCREASING AT A FAR MORE RAPID RATE THAN THAT OF THE MEN. THIS FACT IS USED AS THE BASIS FOR URGING THAT MORE ATTENTION BE GIVEN TO AN ANALYSIS OF THIS TREND, AS WELL AS TO WOMEN PRISONERS AS A SPECIAL CATEGORY OF OFFENDER. THE INCREASE IS SHOWN TO BE CONCENTRATED IN RELATIVELY FEW AREAS, WITH NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF WOMEN PRISONERS REPORTED FROM ANDHRA, MAHARASHTRA, AND TAMIL NADU. WHILE DATA ON URBAN-RURAL DISTRIBUTION WAS NOT SEPARATELY AVAILABLE IN THE NATIONAL STATISTICS, IT IS INDICATED THAT A RECENT UNPUBLISHED SURVEY OF WOMEN PRISONERS CONVICTED OF MURDER IN MAHARASHTRA REVEALED THAT APPROXIMATELY 87 PERCENT OF THE FEMALE INMATES BELONGED TO RURAL AREAS AND 64.5 PERCENT WERE FROM AGRICULTURAL FAMILIES. TYPES OF OFFENSES FOR WHICH WOMEN WERE CONVICTED IS NOT REPORTED FROM THE NATIONAL FIGURES, BUT A 1968 PRISON ADMINISTRATION REPORT FROM MAHARASHTRA SHOWS THAT NEARLY ONE-HALF OF THE OFFENCE COMMITTED BY WOMEN PRISONERS WERE VIOLATIONS OF THE RAILWAY ACT, BOMBAY POLICE ACT, AND PROHIBITION ACT (PROPERTY CRIMES). A BARE 5 PERCENT OF WOMEN PRISONERS ARE REPORTED TO BE IN PRISON FOR OVER 6 MONTHS DURATION. PRISON FACILITIES, SERVICES, AND AFTERCARE FOR WOMEN ARE SAID TO BE MEAGER. IN THE LIGHT OF LIMITED CORRECTIONAL RESOURCES, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT BUDGET PRIORITIES BE GIVEN TO AN ANALYSIS OF THE CAUSES OF FEMALE DEVIANT BEHAVIOR WITH A VIEW TOWARD TAKING SOCIAL PREVENTIVE MEASURES. ADDITIONALLY, DUE TO THE SHORTNESS OF MOST PRISON STAYS, ATTENTION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO REHABILITATION THROUGH AFTERCARE SERVICES. (RCB)