Effective and Humane Restoration of Prisoners With Special Reference to India

Abstract

The tail-end of the criminal justice system is the prison. In the era of mass incarceration a question arises how can a prisoner be restored to live a successful life after incarceration? The architecture of restoration of prisoners to begin the movement the prisoner placed under the authority of prison officials. Restoration is not a soft option, as many prisoners find it extremely difficult to face up to the impact of their crimes. The entire prison environment and the stakeholders of the prison department shall be involved in the restorative process. Restoration is the shift from retribution and vengeance to a more human approach. Hence restorative processes shall focus on physical, behavioral, emotional and restoration of dignity. The transition from prison to re-integration into the society after being incarcerated for number of years is the most difficult task for the prisoner. Therefore perseverance of restoration in prisons shall be a continuous process which would be a great investment to everyone. Research and studies across the world reveals that the scale of victimization among the prisons is very high and at time most devasting and India is not an exception. Adoption of restorative restoration approaches and practices in prison setting will not only successfully navigate reentry both into the family and society but also a realistic future and an effectiveness and positive impact outside the prison world. If prison officials want to reduce recidivism it is vital that they ensure effective and humane restoration of prisoners. This paper takes the stock of the current context and aims to bring greater clarity pertinent to the thematic area of concerns regarding effective and humane restoration of prisoners with special reference to India.