WOMEN CRIMINALS: A CASE STUDY OF FEROZEPUR CENTRAL JAIL.(PUNJAB) INDIA

The Constitution of India guarantees equality to women and various laws have been enacted to protect and empower women. While some women have definitely benefited from these provisions, for the majority of poor and illiterate women life still remains a struggle in a very traditional, patriarchal and feudal society. The pathetic situation of women prisoners, branded as bad women who deserve bad treatment, is not surprising. There were 31 convicts and 50 undertrial women in the Ferozepur central prison at the time of our study. The study was conducted from 22 January to 10 February 2010. Observation, questionnaire, interview methods were used for the study. Convicted prisoners are those whose term of punishment has been decided by the court of law. Undertrials are those prisoners whose cases are being heard in the court of law and they may or may not be found guilty of the accusation of crime. Only 50 undertrials womens have been included in this study and women prisoners found highly unsatisfactory conditions. Basic facilities are lacking for the women and their children; also the prisoners are visibly scared of the prison staff. There is scope for vast improvement, on all levels, particularly in the attitude of the prison staff who need to learn to respect the human rights of women prisoners.