Topic: Prison Reform
Country: India
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All India position papers GLIMUN 2008 committees
SUBMITED TO: Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
FROM: India
TOPIC: Prison Reform
Within a state of democratic values, we wish to uphold legal rights of all, including those of a crime-ridden past. A citizen is born with basic rights that, regardless of the life they’ve chosen,and deserve an amount of human dignity and convenience. We find it immoral to “get revenge” on others. India greatly admires the work towards the improvement in human rights of Mahatmas Gandhi, although from a practical standpoint, we cannot completely follow through with his teachings. India in past and in current has put forth many recommendations for various global reform committees, yet none have been implemented. There are many aspects that we would greatly appreciate to be discussed, in which we consider definite problem areas.
Unnecessary brutality on prisoners is a definite thorn in the side of all counties. Much of the violence is due to a lack of training. To beat an unarmed individual only helps to prove the primitive instincts that untrained employees possess. India promotes professional training of prison facility personnel. Institutions or even simple school buildings can easily adapt to accommodate this sort of training. We like to hope that these atrocious sorts of actions taken aren’t being condoned by any country. In fact, we’d like to see persecution of those responsible of such violence towards inmates. For cases of serious injury or death due to these injuries, we would like to promote compensations, namely monetary, to those affected by the individual’s suffering. Proper conditions need to be fulfilled as well. If work is to be given when available, a fair wage should come as a result. We will not promote any sort of forced labor, because it’s no better than slavery.
More problems arise in the subject of the prisoner’s release. When a sentence is completed, the inmate should be discharged as instantaneously as possible. Escorting prisoners is also a responsible action on the part of the prison. To make use of Home Guards should considered. There has been no problem arranging for guardians for prisoners within India. This can benefit the detainee’s safety, but will also help the prison to ensure that they will actually get to the location without any trouble. Convicts and undertrails, or those waiting to have their verdict confirmed, need more distinction between the two. The potentially innocent do not deserve to sit in cells with criminals.
A prison is a great example of a situation where disease flourishes. India would like to see regular medical screenings become a normal procedure. We already have a problem controlling STD’s as it stands. Once inmates become reintegrated into normal society, they can very well return infectious viruses and bacteria as well.
Overall, it can be concluded that the errors prisons have could be easily corrected through proper inspections. New-age thinking has not had an opportunity to outstretch its pleasant ideals and transformed progressions to all who are ready to receive them on an international scale. As a result, we wish to see new committees review the management of prison environments and give their recommendations in order for them to have the initial ability to convert towards better conditions. A systematic quota and manual could easily be formed with the cooperation of this UN body. The various rights of prisoners need to no longer be overlooked.
