The author has dealt with the topic "Prisons and Professional Social work in detail in this slide. The author is a Professor of Social work in the Academy of Prisons & Correctional Administration, Vellore, India. The author has two decades of experience in Teaching and Research in Prisons and had organised several programmes and training for the Prison officers and the Prison inmates. The discussion is an outcome of the author's first hand experienced with the Prison inmates.

1. Prisons & Professional Social work
Prof.Beulah Emmanuel

2. At the end of the session..,
 What is Prison Social
work?
 Need of Social workers
in Prison Setting!
 Status of Prison social

3. From the Diary of Prisoners..,
Saravanan was involved in a murder case ..,Married for
three months.., wife pregnant by 1-1/2 months..,
sentenced for life.., parole escapee twice.., now has two
children.., wife unable to meet the needs though she did
all she could.., finally she committed suicide leaving
two teenage children.., Saravanan loved his wife so
much.., he became schizophrenic off late..,

4. Mala administered poison to herself and her
three children two girls aged 8&10 and one 3year
old boy child due to the trouble by the drunkard
husband. Mala is in prison with delusional
disorder –confessing that her 3year old child
pulls her sari every minute and second..,
From the Diary of Prisoners..,
MALA

5. An estate owner picked up with an employee.., he was
drunk.., he pushed him while he was trying to hit him..,
self defense.., employee fell down forever.., Estate owner sent
to prison..,He has two young girls to be married.., No mother..,He does not
have anyone trustworthy with him to take care of his business..,
From the Diary of Prisoners..,

6. Ravi and Karthick ran away from home (two
different homes) since their parents were very
strict with them and one among them had a step
mother.., they worked in a mechanic shop ,slept
there.., lived there.., one fine day get an idea to
steal a costly bike from the shed, sold it & ran
away.., they were 19 years ..,Landed in Borstal
school.., One of the parent is an headmaster of a
rural school.., Parents do not know that they are in
From the Diary of Prisoners..,

7. Do you think Social workers have a role to play
in the lives of these Prison inmates?

8. Indian Prisons..,
Year
No. of
Prisons
Actual Capacity
of Prisons
No. of Prisoners at
the end of the year
Occupancy Rate at
the end of the year
2016 1,412 3,80,876 4,33,003 113.7%
2017 1,361 3,91,574 4,50,696 115.1%
2018 1,339 3,96,223 4,66,084 117.6%
Source: Prison statistics India 2016-2018

9. Process of Incarceration
P
O
L
I
C
E
C
O
U
R
T
P
R
I
S
O
N
Family

10. Objectives of Prisons..,
Reformation
Rehabilitation
Re-socialization

11. Reformation
Reformation
Change in
perception
Attitudinal
change
Emotional
intelligence
Altering
personality

12. REHABILITATION

13. Resocialisation
Arivu Sir Video
P
O
L
I
C
E
C
O
U
R
T
P
R
I
S
O
N
FamilyFamily

14. Basic principles
• A person in Prison does not become a non-person
• A person in prison is entitled to all human rights except
that is prevented through incarceration
• Person is sent to prison as punishment and not for
punishment

15. Documents that guide prisons

16. International standards
1. UN Standard Minimum Rules for The Treatment Of Prisoners (1955)-
Nelson Mandela rules
2. UN Body of Principles For The Protection Of All Persons Under Any
Form Of Detention Or Imprisonment (1988)
3. UN Basic Principles for The Treatment Of Prisoners (1990)
4. UN Rules For the Treatment Of Women Prisoners And Non-Custodial
Measures For Women Offenders (The Bangkok Rules) (2010)

17. International standards
1. UN Rules for The Protection Of Juveniles Deprived Of Their
Liberty (1990)
2. UN Guidelines For The Prevention Of Juvenile Delinquency (The
Riyadh Guidelines) (1990)
3. UN Standard Minimum Rules for The Administration Of Juvenile
Justice (The Beijing Rules) (1985)
4. United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for Non-Custodial
Measures (The Tokyo Rules) (1990)

18. International standards
1. International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights (ICESCR) (1966)
2. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) (1966)
3. Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading
Treatment or Punishment(CAT)(1984)
4. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women (1979)
5. Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)

19. RIGHTS OF PRISONERS

20. Basic Rights of Prison inmates
• Right to Human Dignity
• Right to Basic human needs
• Right to communication
• Right to access to law
• Right against arbitrary prison punishment
• Right to meaningful and Gainful employment
• Right to get wages for the employment
• Right to be released on due date

21. Rights of Prisoners..,
1. Right to be Lodged appropriately based on Proper Classification.
2. Special Right of Young Prisoners to be Segregated from Adult Prisoners.
3. Rights of Women Prisoners.
4. Right to Healthy Environment and Timely Medical Services.
5. Right to Bail.
6. Right to Speedy Trial.
7. Right to Free Legal Services.

22. Rights of Prisoners..,
8. Right to have Interviews with Ones Lawyer.
9. Right against being Detained for More than the Period of Sentence imposed by the Court.
10. Right to Protection against being Forced into Sexual activities.
11. Right against Arbitrary use of Handcuffs and Fetters.
12. Right against Torture, Cruel and Degrading Punishment.
13.Right not to be Punished with Solitary Confinement for a prison offence.
14. Right against Arbitrary Prison Punishment.
15. Right to Air Grievances and to Effective Remedy.

23. Rights of Prisoners..,
16. Right to Evoke the Writ of Habeas Corpus against prison authorities for Excesses.
17. Right to be Compensated for Violation of Human Rights.
18. Right to Visits and Access by Family Members of prisoners.
19. Right to Write Letters to Family and Friends and to receive Letters, Magazines, etc.
20. Right to Reformative Programmes.
21. Rights in the context of Employment of prisoners and Prison Wages.
22. Right to Information about Prison Rules.

24. Needs of Prison inmates..,
• Running the family
• Education of the children
• Managing stigma in the society
• Protecting the family from the
victims
• Paying loans
• Safeguarding their property
• Harassments
• Withdrawal issues
• Health problems
• Mental health issues
• Personality changes
• Legal Assistance
• Interviews with family & lawyers

25. Role of social worker
• Mediator
• Teacher
• Family therapist
• Counsellor
• Guide

26. MEDIATOR
SOCIAL
WORKER
PRISONERS
PRISON
Victims
Prisoners
family

27. TEACHER
Social
worker
Academic
Formal
Non-
formal
Vocational Vocation

28. Family therapist
Wife &
children
Parents
In laws

29. COUNSELLOR
Self
awareness
Attitudinal
change
Corrected
individual

30. GUIDE
Family
issues
Personal
issues
Financial
issues
Education/
vocation

31. • Correcting perception
• Enabling ventilation
• Removing guilt feelings
• Suicide watch
• Restorative justice
• Family intervention
• Arranging campus
interviews
• Legal Aid
• Liasioning
• Research In Prisons
• Networking
• Classification
• Group therapy
• Drafting vision & mission
Work of a social worker

32. C
U
S
T
O
D
Y
C
A
R
E
C
O
R
R
E
C
T
I
O
N

33. Status of Professional social workers in Indian Prisons
Year Jail Officials Correctional
Staff
% of
correctional
staff
Medical Staff Total
Prison staff
Total
Prisoner
population
2016 43,370 621 1.3% 2,024 53,370 4,33,003
2017 44,250 611 1.3% 1996 57,307 4,50,696
2018 46,248 616 1.3% 1,914 48,778 4,66,084
Source: Prison statistics India 2016-2018 published by NCRB,Delhi

34. What Other countries do?
• NACRO-US & UK
• Yellow Ribbon Project-Singapore
• PRI-UK
• Amnesty International-UK

35. What shall we do?
• Raise the issue of appointing social workers in prisons
• Raise petitions to rise up the ratio of Professional social workers in
Prisons
• Explain to the government to give first preference to social work
qualified candidates for any kind of prison job from warder to
Superintendent.
• Help the Government to understand the need of NGOs in Prisons
• Emphasis Public private partnership

36. • Encourage crime prevention strategies like school,
college awareness and orientation etc..,
• Research in Prisons
• Help the children of prison inmates
• Device work programs for released prisoners
• Write more papers on the need and importance of
social workers in prisons

37. For further consultation..,
Prof. Beulah Emmanuel
Professor of Social work
Academy of Prisons & Correctional Administration,
Vellore-632002
Mobile:+91-97876 85687
E’mail:beulahyesus@gmail.com