Madhurima Dhanuka is a lawyer and expert on prison reforms. She has been associated with the Prison Reforms Programme at the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative since 2008. Views are personal
India’s prison statistics certainly don’t paint a picture of “dignity”. 5,73,220 prisoners confined in 1,330 prisons designed for a capacity of 4,36,266 -- a shortfall of nearly 1.4 lakh spaces
It reflects lack of research, consultation and engagement with ground functionaries and affected communities. There is an imminent need to address concerns, as without these changes it will be a missed opportunity for meaningful reform.
Any system that relies on an ‘after the fact’ mechanism to rectify errors is inherently flawed. A closer look at the procedural requirements juxtaposed with constitutional guarantees in relation to arrest and the right to a lawyer, reveal critical gaps within the system
