A Study of Open Prison System in India with Special Reference to State of Rajasthan

Abstract

Open Prisons are prisons without bars, lockups and walls. Open Prisons are almost newlineself-financed, and self-governed and the cost of Open Prisons is much less than the newlineclosed prisons. In these prisons, the prisoners are permitted to work in Open farms newlineor industries, while serving their sentence which helps them to earn their living and newlinein supporting their families. They can also keep their families with them too which newlinehelps them in reforming themselves in a better way and gives them a second chance newlineto improve so that they should evolve themselves into a better human being. newlineThe United Nations Congress on Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders newlineheld in Geneva, defines Open Prisons as an institution, which is characterised by newlineabsence of material and physical precautions against escape such as walls, locks, newlinebars and armed-guards and a system based on self-discipline and innate sense of newlineresponsibility towards the group in which he lives. newlineThe purpose of an open correctional institution is the development of self-respect newlineand sense of responsibility in a prisoner and preparing him for his freedom after his newlinerelease from the jail. In an Open Prison, discipline is easier to maintain and the newlinepunishment is seldom required since the tensions of a prison life are relaxed and the newlineconditions of imprisonment is approximately more close to the pattern of normal newlinelife.1 These are minimum security devices for inmates to rehabilitate them in the newlinesociety after their final release. They are popularly also called as open jails. The newlinepresent study is carried out to understand and analyze the concept and relevance of newlineOpen Prison as a correctional institution in reforming and rehabilitating the newlineprisoners. newline