Sociologie et criminologie-Open Access
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Title-Socio-Legal Status of Women Prisoners and their Dependent Children: A Study of Central Jails of Rajasthan

Asha Bhandari

Although research is unanimous in underlining the particularly detrimental effects of prison on women, their special needs are rarely taken into consideration. The change in the composition of the prison population has highlighted the shortcomings in almost all prison systems in meeting the gender-specific needs of women prisoners. Any modern approach to provide a more acceptable criminal justice policy for women must pay greater attention to their problems. In particular there is need to give attention to the situation of women and children in the prison and apply gender perspective to policies and programme for them. In India, only a few studies worth their name have been conducted on prison life of women criminals. This article is outcome of the major research project funded by ICSSR, New Delhi. This study focused on the women prisoner and their dependent children residing in the eight central jail of Rajasthan. The purpose of the present study is to identify the key issues of the problem faced by women prisoners and their dependent children in the jail and gather the information and ideas on ways in which these issues could be addressed better. Further the aim is to assist legislation and policymakers in framing of policies on the basis of understanding of ground reality.