Historical Analysis of the Development of Prisons in India: Human Rights in Retrospect

The prison system is crucial to administering criminal justice and maintaining peace in society. Indian prisons have a long history dating back to the ancient and modern eras. It remains a travesty of the Indian criminal justice system to manage and administer prisons, particularly during the medieval and modern periods. Even the current prison conditions are woeful, requiring a change in the system. The first prison reformation in India began under Lord Macaulay in 1835. Human rights for prisoners have been vehemently advocated and protected by the Indian Constitution and Judiciary. Because of these factors, human rights movements related to prisoners have continued to grow in India. In this article, the authors analysed the evolution of the prison system in India through the lens of human rights.