Breaking Bars, Building Hope: Redefining Rehabilitation with Open Prisons in India

Abstract: India's open prisons offer an innovative method of confinement by giving some prisoners more freedom and chances for rehabilitation. However, little is known about how individuals who are directly involved, such as detainees, their families, and prison staff, see these jails. This thesis aims to investigate their viewpoints and experiences, with a particular emphasis on stigma, incarceration, and the sequence of rehabilitation. Understanding their perspectives can help us identify the system's advantages and disadvantages as well as potential areas for change, resulting in more efficient and compassionate methods of criminal justice in India. This thesis aims to highlight the lived experiences and viewpoints of these important participants in order to highlight the advantages, drawbacks, and potential development areas of the open prison system in India. “How are the inmates, their families and the officials affected by the functioning of an open prison in India?” This study has important ramifications for criminal justice policy and practice in India. Further, the study can aid in the creation of more efficient and humane correctional practices by providing insights into the experiences and viewpoints of prisoners, their relatives, and prison staff. The results may also help treatments that work to lessen the stigma attached to jail and to encourage the reintegration of criminals into society.