More Glimpses of Penal Reform in India
| Author | W.T.J. Rutter |
| Published date | 01 January 1947 |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455054700500703 |
| Date | 01 January 1947 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
87
MORE
GLIMPSES
OF
PENAL
REFORM
IN
INDIA
By W. T. J.
RUTTER,
Probation
Officer,
Cardiff.
I
In
October,
1943,
I
was
allowed
to
visit
the
Central
Jail,
Borstal
and
Juvenile
Institution,
Lahore,
by
the
kind
permission
of
Col.
N.
D.
Puri,
Inspector
General
of
Prisons,
Punjab
Government.
The
tremendous
difference
between Western
and
Eastern
standards
of
life
make
any
comparison
between
Prisons,
Borstals
and
Juvenile
Institutions
of
this
country
and
those
of
the
Government
of
Punjab
practically
impossible.
This
must
be
borne
in
mind
when
one
reads
the
following
description
based
on
notes
made
after
my
visit.
The
fact
that
India
was
at
war
and
to
all
intents
and
purposes
isolated
from
the
rest
of
the
world
at
that
time
must
not
be
lost
sight
of.
BORSTAL
INSTITUTION,
LAHORE
The
Borstal
Institution,
Lahore,
is
situated
about
two
hundred
yards
from
the
Central
Jail.
The
two
sites
adjoin.
The
Institution
consists
of
a
series
of
single
storey
buildings
surrounded
by
a
high
mud-brick
wall.
Entrance
is
gained
through
two
large
wooden
doors
situated
on
either
side of
which
are
the
Administrative
Offices.
The
large
wooden
doors
are
always
locked
and
under
surveillance.
The
Superintendent
of
the
Institution
is,
as
is
usual
in
such
institutions
in
India,
a
member
of
the
Indian
Medical
Service;
the
remaining
personnel
are
members
of
the
Punjab
Jail
Service.
The
Institution
is
organised
on
lines
similar
to
those
in
this
country,
divided
into &dquo;
Houses
&dquo;.
The
age
limits
of
persons
sentenced
to
a
period
of
detention
in
a
Borstal
Institution
in
the
Punjab
is
from
17
to
23
years,
but
there
appears
to
be
no
limit
to
the
length
of
the
period
of
detention
which
can
be
imposed.
In
one
workshop
I
saw
a
youth
who
was
undergoing
a
period
of
six
months’
detention
for
larceny
working
by
the
side
of
another
youth
of
19
years
of
age
who
was
undergoing
a
period
of
detention
for
twenty
years
for
murder.
Various
types
of
work
are
performed
by
the
youths
undergoing
detention.
I
was
shown
a
large
carpenter’s
shop,
a
printing
and
book-binding
shop,
a
pottery
and
a
large
shed
where
squads
were
making &dquo;
dhurries &dquo;
(light
Indian
carpets):
The
work
performed
by
the
youths
in
the
Borstal
has
a
certain
amount
of
value
in
that
it
keeps
them
occupied
by
day
and
it
does
attempt
to
teach
them
a
trade.
This
however,
in
my
opinion,
is
nullified
by
the
fact
that
most
of
the
youths
come
from
villages
where
the
only
means
of
livelihood
is
agriculture,
and
therefore
the
teaching
of
an
industrial
trade,
i.e.
printing
and
book-binding,
carpet
making,
etc.,
is
something
which
can
be
of
little
practical
value
in
their
future.
The
atmosphere
inside
the
Institution
is
very
similar
to
that
of
an
Indian
prison.
When
the
day’s
work
ceases
the
youths
are
immediately
locked
in
separate
cells.
Each
individual
cell
consists
of
a
small
covered
room
closed
by
a
door
consisting
of
iron
bars
and
outside
it
a
small
courtyard
also
closed
by
a
door
of
iron
bars.
The
interior
of
the
covered
cell
consists
of
a
&dquo; bed &dquo;
made
of
bricks
and
mud
upon
which
the
youth
sleeps.
The
sanitary
arrangement
of
the
cell
consists
of
a
small
uncovered
tin
which
is
used
for
the
normal
functions
of
nature.
I
noticed
that
all
members
of
outside
working
parties
wore
leg
irons
in
order
to
prevent
&dquo; escapes &dquo;.
I
was
told
that
prior
to
the
war
escapes
were
practically
unknown
but
that
since
early
1940
they
had
become
very
common,
hence
the
use
of
leg
irons.
As
a
result
of
the
prevalence
of
escapes
all
freedom
of
movement
both
inside
and
outside
the
Institution
on
the
part
of
the
youths
had
been
restricted.
All
doors
inside
the
Institu-
tion
were
kept
locked
with
warders
on
duty
over
them,
and
because
of
the
large
number
of
escapes
which
had
taken
place
all
games
with
outside
organisations,
i.e.
football
matches,
cricket,
hockey,
etc.,
had
ceased.
The
youths
were
clothed
in
a
uniform
of
sorts,
the
clothes
of
most
of
them
were,
however,
in
tatters
and
little
attempt,
if
any,
had
been
made
to
see
that
the
uniform
issued
fitted
the
youth
to
whom
it
was
issued.
JUVENILE
INSTITUTION,
LAHORE
This
Institution
is
in
fact
part
of
the
Borstal
Institu-
tion
which
is
set
aside
for
boys
up
to
the
age
of
17
years
sentenced
to
a
period
of
detention.
At
the
time
of
my
visit
there
were
some
fifty
or
sixty
boys
undergoing
detention.
They
were
all
working
in
a
large
shed
the
walls
of
which
consisted
of
iron
bars
so
that
in
appearance
it
resembled
a
large
cage.
The
’boys
were
engaged
in
pounding
thick
grass
into
thin
strips
and
binding
it
into
a
grass
rope.
This
work
was
described
as
being
merely
something
for
the
boys
to
do,
as
the
grass
ropes
which
were
being
made
are
of
little
value
as
they
break
after
being
in
use
for
a
short
while.
The
boys
wear
a
uniform
of
sorts
but
this,
again,
in
most
instances,
was
in
tatters
and
in
the
majority
of
cases
did
not
fit
the
boy.
The
boys
sleep
in
a
type
of
dormitory
at
night.
CENTRAL
JAIL,
LAHORE
The
Central
Jail,
Lahore,
is
situated
at
a
point
where
the
Old
City
and
the
European
areas
adjoin.
It
consists
of
a
series
of
single
storey
buildings
and
consequently
covers
a
large
area.
The
Jail
is
surrounded
by
a
high
mud-brick
wall.
On
the
day
of
my
visit
to
the
Jail
it
contained
2,821
prisoners,
of
whom
72
were
condemned
to
death
and
114
were
on
remand.
The
jail
is
divided
into
approximately
five
sections
con-
sisting
of
the
condemned
prisoners
section,
the
European
section,
the
State
prisoner
section,
and
the
first
and
second
Circle
prisoners
section.
The
Administrative
Offices
are
situated
on
either
side
of
the
main
entrance
gates.
_
The
condemned
prisoners
section.
Life
is
cheap
in
India
and
as
a
result
Indian
prisons
always
contain
a
large
number
of
condemned
prisoners
whose
offences
range
from
murder
to
family
blood
feuds.
The
prisoner
after
being
condemned
to
death
has
three
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