India India Ranks Fifth In Prison Population In The World

[kds1980]

New Delhi, Nov 26 India, the second most populous nation occupies the fifth place in the world in terms of prisoners' population, even as global superpower the United States of America holds the number 1 spot.

In a survey conducted by King's College, London in 218 countries and territories, a total of 3.73 lakh prisoners are lodged in nearly 1,336 prisons in India.

United States is followed by China, Russia and Brazil, a study conducted by the International Centre for Prison Studies, King's College, London said.

The study stated that maximum number of prisoners across globe are lodged in jails of United States, which has 2.31 million of them followed by China (1.57 million sentenced prisoners), Russia (0.89 million) and Brazil (0.47 million).

As per the study, more than 9.8 million people are held in different prisons throughout the world.

 

[kds1980]

Its so strange that Indian prison population is so small while USA prison population is so high.about 1% of USA is in prison

 

[spnadmin]

I am not being sarcastic when I say this. The US has umpteen times more laws than many countries. And so there are more ways to be a lawbreaker. Which proves that having more laws does not make a country less prone to lawbreaking. The administration of prisons has become a big business in the US, as more prisons are privatized. And when they are not privatized, they are major employers in the areas where they are located.

Also - many states now have something called "three strikes and you are out" sentencing. Three felonies and you are in prison for life. So someone who commits two bank robberies, and then holds up a pizza delivery man, will be in jail for life. Mathematically, this will contribute to a larger prison population and statistics are bearing it out.

This policy has filled prisons in states like California to the brim. Since fewer people are being let out, there are fewer spaces for new prisoners.

 

[AusDesi]

Exactly Americans way of reducing crime is to put everyone in Jail. in contrast, the Dutch with more liberal laws actually don't have enough prisoners for all the prisons.

 

[kds1980]

Also - many states now have something called "three strikes and you are out" sentencing. Three felonies and you are in prison for life. So someone who commits two bank robberies, and then holds up a pizza delivery man, will be in jail for life. Mathematically, this will contribute to a larger prison population and statistics are bearing it out.

I am sorry to say but what is the purpose of keeping such a high prison population.The aim
of Prison should be that Prisoners should be given chance to change them.The aim should not be that prisons should be filled with huge number of prisoners.

 

[AusDesi]

I am sorry to say but what is the purpose of keeping such a high prison population.The aim
of Prison should be that Prisoners should be given chance to change them.The aim should not be that prisons should be filled with huge number of prisoners.

apparently they have some private prisons in US. So some company is actually benefiting from many prisoners.

 

[spnadmin]

Exactly Americans way of reducing crime is to put everyone in Jail. in contrast, the Dutch with more liberal laws actually don't have enough prisoners for all the prisons.

AusDesi ji

Exactly. The mind set in the US is extremely punitive. You are correct also about the private companies making money. It is a growth industry. The idea of putting people away and throwing out the key is a constant theme in local elections. A sure winner. Both for the communities that benefit from the local boost to their economy - jobs in the prisons for prison guards who are paid low wages and are not well-educated, but also service to the prison employees, such as restaurants. The Dutch mentality is considered suspicious to say the least.

 

[spnadmin]

I am sorry to say but what is the purpose of keeping such a high prison population.The aim
of Prison should be that Prisoners should be given chance to change them.The aim should not be that prisons should be filled with huge number of prisoners.

Well what hapens Kanwardeep Singh ji -- Younger prisoners learn from the older ones better ways to commit crimes. It is an ongoing cycle of recidivism, creating repeat offenders. No one seems to get it. I agree with you but the taxpayers do not want to spend money on rehabilitation - such as money for education so that prisoners can complete high school diplomas or be trained for gainful employment. One alarming statistic is that more than 50 percent of the prison population cannot even read -- they are illiterate.

 

[kds1980]

Well what hapens Kanwardeep Singh ji -- Younger prisoners learn from the older ones better ways to commit crimes. It is an ongoing cycle of recidivism, creating repeat offenders. No one seems to get it. I agree with you but the taxpayers do not want to spend money on rehabilitation - such as money for education so that prisoners can complete high school diplomas or be trained for gainful employment. One alarming statistic is that more than 50 percent of the prison population cannot even read -- they are illiterate.

The same thing also happen's in India.even if you spent some days in lock up
then chances are that you are going to he completely different personality when you come out.BTW where are human right activist's who advocate abolishing death penalty? Is it O.K for them to see ruin a person's life but they can't see a hard core criminal being given death sentence.

 

[spnadmin]

Kanwardeep Singh ji

I have the same questions....either way a streak of vengeance runs through the solutions..How many people are beyond reach ? Do we have ways to know who is beyond reach? Does much of the world care about those who have been locked away? About those who are executed who were innocent? We have cases of new evidence being discovered, even DNA evidence, that would clear a person of crimes like rape or murder. Judges and district attorneys (government council) refuse to have new trials because there were no procedural problems with the original trial. The questions are endless.

 

[kds1980]

Kanwardeep Singh ji

I have the same questions....either way a streak of vengeance runs through the solutions..How many people are beyond reach ? Do we have ways to know who is beyond reach? Does much of the world care about those who have been locked away? About those who are executed who were innocent? We have cases of new evidence being discovered, even DNA evidence, that would clear a person of crimes like rape or murder. Judges and district attorneys (government council) refuse to have new trials because there were no procedural problems with the original trial. The questions are endless.

Narayanjot ji

I am not against punishment.But in the punishment criminals should be given chance to reform themselves.Ruining a life of a person by making him bigger criminal and then putting him for life imprisionment is no different from Death penalty.

 

[kds1980]

Here is the example of prison reforms introduced in India

Kiran Bedi for holistic approach to prison reforms

By Our Special Correspondent

Kiran Bedi, Joint Commissioner of Police (TRG), New Delhi, at the Madras School of Social Work in Chennai on Monday. Photo: S. Mahinsha


CHENNAI APRIL 8. The Joint Commissioner of Police (Training), New Delhi, Kiran Bedi, better known as the architect of reforms in Tihar Jail, today said a holistic approach was needed for prison reforms.

Isolated programmes for development of jail inmates as was in practice in jails not only in the country, but throughout the world, would not deliver the desired results. The "3 Cs model'' for prison management-collective, corrective and community-based prison management, which was simple and effective, was utmost essential. Even if one `C' was removed, the objective of holistic correction could not be achieved. ``There is a need for a determination to manage, integrity and a very collective functioning''. She emphasised that education formed the basis of any reforms programme. She recalled how during her tenure as the Inspector-General of Prison, Tihar Jail, 100 per cent literacy was achieved without any cost. With no dearth of non-governmental organisations, she said that recognised voluntary organisations and retired teachers could be allowed entry to take up the task of imparting education to prisoners. ``If you bring in NGOs, there is a public vigil''. To begin with, functional literacy could be imparted and later prisoners encouraged to take up secondary education and higher studies. Ms.Bedi, the winner of the Ramon Magsaysay Award, was delivering the ``Mary Clubwala Jadhav Seventh Memorial Endowment Lecture'' on ``prison reforms'' at the Madras School of Social Work here.

With the help of an hour-long video film on the transformation of Tihar jail, she explained how the `Vipassana' meditation sessions introduced for prisoners, ``repaired their minds'', helped remove their negative memories and transform themselves to lead a better life. Even a `Vipassana centre' was organised and the programme still continued. Simultaneously, as time inside the prison was precious, it was value-added by enabling the prisoners to learn academics, provide counselling, introspection and to make prisoners stand on their own through self-employment.

Later talking to newspersons, she said the meditation programme had a good impact on prisoners. Even a Norwegian inmate, who was charged under the NDPS Act, had himself written a letter to her as to how he was benefited. Such was the impact that he himself pleaded guilty before the Judge in the case.

 

[spnadmin]

This is truly a brilliant article that tells a story of a brilliant mind and plan. It is very moving and I wish this kind of thinking would catch on over here.

 

[Sikh royalist]

In India it is not difficult at all to escape the law the law enforcement agencies are not properly paid and hence they resort to corruption one of my friends who is a very rash driver has crushed 3 different peoples in three different accidents but not only is he roaming free but he drives to this day:shock: in india we have a saying "kanun ke haath bahut lambe hote hain" which means the law reaches every where but the hands of law that is our police force is really corrupt.almost half the people who need police assistance do not approach them they know all the police asks for is money:wink:

YouTube- judge preet harpal,s song edting by raja zaildar

mehngiyan zamina khula bapu kole cash........

 

[AusDesi]

"kanun ke haath bahut lambe hote hain"

That should be changed to "Kanun ke haath bahut gande hote hain", The hands of the law are very dirty.

In India the Police are involved in almost every crime. If no one is caught in a case or the file is closed without any conclusion you can be sure that someone has paid off the police.

My uncle was a thanedar in a Faridabad Chowki. Even in my area they had their Khabri in every area. The police knew everything. Anytime a case happened they knew who did it. Only problem was their hands were tied as the criminal party had paid off the people at the top as in above the chowki level.

In the case where they genuinely didn't know who was the criminal, they accused anyone in the street who had a criminal record.