Locating Prison Officers in the Prison Reforms Discourse: Insights from India

In India, prisons are characterised by overcrowding, with over 75% of prisoners awaiting trial (i.e. remanded into custody or awaiting trial in custody). Poor health and legal aid facilities and lack of psycho-social intervention programmes result in Indian prisons functioning as custodial rather than correctional institutions. In terms of personnel, there are a large number of vacancies, and staff are overworked and stressed, paid inadequate salaries, with difficult working conditions. In addition, there is gender disparity in recruitment, lack of regular training and onboarding, and a near absence of mental health personnel (Tata Trusts, India justice report: Ranking states on police, judiciary, prisons and legal aid (2022), https://indiajusticereport.org/files/IJR%202022_Full_Report1.pdf , 2023). Prison officers lack upward mobility channels, and in most states, the department is headed by a police officer, who does not have a background in correctional services (Raghavan, Indian Express, March 6, https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/uttarakhand-prison-head-appointment-police-officers-7216164/ , 2021). The staff are largely demoralised by corrupt practices and human rights violations (Human Rights Watch, Prison conditions in India. Retrieved December 9, 2022, from https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/INDIA914.pdf , 1991; Rajendran, Multipronged strategy required to tackle corruption in prisons, The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy, August 8, https://www.thehinducentre.com/the-arena/current-issues/multipronged-strategy-required-to-tackle-corruption-in-prisons/article64931493.ece , 2017; Saxena, The International Journal of Human Rights 24:615–631, 2020), which are rampant. However, instead of systemic reforms, authorities adopt a policy of suspension or dismissal of personnel lower down in the prison staff hierarchy. Officers who try to fulfil their mandate or innovate become lost in the system and their performance rarely commended. As such, I argue effective reforms in the system require the placement of prison officers at the centre of the process.