Trial of UNITED NATIONS-6

Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (contd.)

(3)Crime record is important for the simple reason that the first offenders should not mix and mingle with recidivists .The recidivists teach and the new entrants learn the methods of committing various types of crimes. In my view, the Centers should be classified on the basis of the category of offenders. For, there are hardened inmates, residents who need tight security (like the naxalites, terrorists, insurgents and so on) ,long termers, inmates who need psychological/therapeutical assistance etc. There are countries where prisons which can accommodate large number of people are constructed. It is an old concept which has not proved beneficial for the inmates till date. On the other hand, management of such institutions becomes difficult and the purpose is often defeated. They become more places of custody than centers of personality development. In such institutions, different categories of inmates, on the basis of their criminal records, are kept separately. Nevertheless, experience has shown that such a system has not been successful so far.

(4) Marital status is to be considered when inmates are housed. Birds of the same feather flock together. People who are married will have many matters common for talk and they can share their experience. They can talk about their children and family affairs. 'Sorrows are lessened when they are shared'-is an accepted truth in human life .Hence, let the married stay separately from the unmarried, divorced, deserted or separated. Married people may abuse the unmarried youngsters and the youngsters may have their own sex perversions from masturbation, ipsation, self-abuse to homosexuality and lesbianism.

(5) Educational, professional and occupational status-are of paramount importance and significance when separation of inmates is thought of. The illiterate, semi-literate, moderately educated, highly educated inmates find it extremely difficult to stay together. They experience communication problems. People of the same educational, professional or occupational background have common topics of interest for discussion. They share their experience and it is really good for their personality development.

(6)Economic background is another factor to be considered. They rich is different from the poor and have their special culture which they find it extremely difficult to share with the poor. The rich may have difficulties too to stay with the poor who have different outlooks, style of living, thinking and behaving.

(7)Length of stay in a Center means whether or not the inmate is a long termer or a short termer. The present system of convicting the crime doers on the basis of the nature of the crimes they have committed is good or bad from the point of view of their personality development is a question of dispute.The short termers have only days, weeks or months to spend in the Centre whereas the long termers have years to go before they are released. No meaningful programmes worth mentioning can be thought of for short termers as they leave the Center after a short stay. On the other hand, constructive and well thought-out programmes are or can be designed and implemented in the case of long termers, particularly for the lifers in the Center. Certainly they should live in separate institutions.

(8)Necessities of their treatment is another parameter on the basis of which the inmates are housed.There may be moral wrecks, psychoneurotics, pasychopaths, people affected by manias and so on. They need treatment and professional therapeutical assistance.They cannot and should not stay with others who do not suffer from such problems.(to be contd.)