REHABILITATION OF PRISONERS

Abstract

This paper will show the importance of rehabilitation on the prisoners, moreover it will also help

in understanding different rehabilitation activities. The role of society on the rehabilitated person

also have the great impact on the person’s future. It will also tell the drawbacks of rehabilitation.

Although rehabilitation have the great impact on the prisoners life but in Pakistan rehabilitation

is restricted to certain areas.

Contents
INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................2
Background and context.......................................................................................................................2
Statement of the problem.......................................................................................................................2
Significance of the study..........................................................................................................................2
Scope.......................................................................................................................................................2
Literature Review........................................................................................................................................3
Research Questions.....................................................................................................................................4
Primary Research Questions....................................................................................................................4
Hypothesis...............................................................................................................................................5
Limitation................................................................................................................................................5
Delimitation.............................................................................................................................................5
Research Methodology................................................................................................................................6
Research Tools.........................................................................................................................................6
Sample.....................................................................................................................................................6
Procedure................................................................................................................................................6
Time Frame..............................................................................................................................................6
Expected Findings........................................................................................................................................6
References...................................................................................................................................................6
Appendix.....................................................................................................................................................7
Interview Questions................................................................................................................................7
Sample questionnaire..............................................................................................................................7
 Introduction
Background and context

As everybody in this world considers prisoners as bad persons, but the fact is that they are not

bad persons in fact they are like us but the only difference is that their activities are against law

and humanity. And if we separate their activities from them they are also good persons like us.

So rehabilitation is very important in this regard

Statement of the problem

The problem here is Pakistan is that criminals are treated very badly by police officers and even

society treats them badly, which in turn make them more stubborn. Criminals are not considered

human beings and given punishments at the maximum pain that human can bear. So, rather

treating them harshly there should be a solution for this which is acceptable to all.

Significance of the study

The significance of the study is that to make people aware about the rights of the prisoners.

Prisoners also have the right to live. They should be treated goodly as other human beings and

their brain is diverted from crimes through rehabilitation.

Scope

As far as the rehabilitation of prisoners in Pakistan is concerned there is research gap. Police

officers and the rest of the staff in police station are unaware about counseling of prisoners.

Counselling might change the life of the prisoner and if some process creates goodness in them.

So, the research is being conducted to make people aware about the rights of the prisoners should

be given to them and rehabilitation is the basic right of a prisoner.

 Literature Review

Kristin Rose and Chris Rose in their journal (Enrolling in College while in prison: Factors that

promote male and female). Rehabilitation is an effective activity for the prisoners’ development

but there are many challenges over the course of rehabilitation. Education programs in

rehabilitation makes the prisoners well educated and well aware of the facts that life is utmost

important. Education enables them to be successful after release. Education makes them realize

about the wrong activities that they have done in their life. Education is the only key which

enlightened their mind about good and bad things in life.

Ronnie Halperin, Suzanne Kessler and Dana Braunschweige in their journal (Rehabilitation

through Arts) discussed the various rehabilitation activities of prisoners especially through arts.

Engaging the prisoners in various arts activities develop confidence, respect for other people. In

order to make the activities successful there is need of active participation of prisoners rather

than spectators. Prisoners are encouraged to participate in art activities which improves the

chances of success after release. Prisoners are encouraged to spend most of their time in art

activities so, that they should be quickly rehabilitated. Rehabilitation changes their mindset about

the life and also provides the environment of learning.

Nell Bernstein in book (Burning Down the house: The end of juvenile prison) discussed about

the prisoners in which juvenile are kept and the adverse effects of keeping a children in prison.

Firstly keeping children in the dark places where sunlight is hard to reach affects children health

and there is no right way to keep children in prison. Youth are fully realized people and are not

victims. They might be forced to do wrong tasks by elders as they don’t have the sense of right

and wrong. Loneliness creates lack of confidence and respect for other people, isolated person

would have no feelings for others. What he wanted is revenge which again is a wrong activity.
Children are most important asset of the nation so, there should be way that juvenile prison is

removed and the way is subversion i.e. diverting the mind of children away from bad activities.

Zohreh vakilpour and Behnam Rastegari in their journal (The need of Rehabilitation of terrorists

in Iran) Discussed that rehabilitation helps people to return to normalcy through education and

apropos treatment. The rehabilitation program will mainly diagnose the people of impecunious

tier and it will abate the abhor for such people hence it will save the society from annihilating.

The whole goal of prison itself should be to rehabilitate an individual and prepare them to reenter

society healthier than when they entered prison. Rehabilitation program is mandatory, if not

provided then a prisoner may incline towards the extremism and may lose his mental aptitude. A

remodel prisoner can best evoke the society in the positive and thus become a part to abate

cumbersome crimes.

Research Questions

Primary Research Questions

The primary research questions of rehabilitation of prisoners are:

 What is rehabilitation?

 Who are prisoners?

 Why only rehabilitation not punishment?

 What are the different types of rehabilitation?

 What are the effects of rehabilitation?

 What is the role of society?

Hypothesis

H1: The process of rehabilitation mainly involves the techniques through which a psychiatrists

tries to understand the reason why the person is involved in crime. And through his

understanding he tries to divert his mind from false activities.

H2: Rehabilitation can be of the type that a criminal should accept his mistake and advice other

to avoid all that activities in which he had been involved.

Limitation

Rehabilitation is although a healthy activity for diverting minds of the prisoners but there are

certain drawbacks of this process. It expects the criminal to improve himself which is not always

a realistic position. It only provides the approach that deals with prisoners’ crime in the past,

ignoring the future. Most important it fails to stop the crime. It just only addresses the prisoners

to live normal lives.

Delimitation

Every person in the prison have committed some serious crimes and meeting them in the prison

might be dangerous. Meeting with the prisoners is excluded as it is against the job of the jailor to

allow researchers to enter the prison. Prisoners’ background and family might not be the reason

for committing crime, as no relative forces him to commit such bad activities.
 Research Methodology

Research Tools

Data is collected through the interview of the jailor which is the primary source of the research.

The secondary sources are the public reviews through questionnaires. Books and journals are

also the source of information.

Sample

People are randomly selected and their reviews are gathered through questionnaire and analysis

is being made on the basis of their review.

Procedure

Interview of the jailors will be conducted and books and journals would be read thoroughly.

Important facts would be highlighted. The research would be done in order to spread the

awareness of rehabilitation.

Time Frame

The research would be completed in six weeks. The research paper will be submitted on 4 th

April.

Expected Findings

The expected findings of the research is that prisoners would be given their rights and there

would be rehabilitation centers in every jail of Pakistan. Most important that the society accepts

the rehabilitated person and treats him in the same way that it treats the other persons. And most

important that persons (prisoners) get back to the normal life after being rehabilitated.
 References

Enrolling in College While in Prison: Factors That Promote Male and Female Prisoners to

Participate Author(s): Kristin Rose and Chris Rose(2014)

Rehabilitation through the Arts: Impact on Participants’ Engagement in Educational Programs

Author(s): Ronnie Halpern, Suzanne Kessler and Dana Braunschweiger(2012)

The Need of Rehabilitation of terrorists in Iran (2018)

Author(s): Zohreh Vakilpour and Behnam Rastegari

Burning Down the house: The end of juvenile prison(2014)

Author(s): Nell Bernstein

Appendix

Interview Questions

Q1. What do you think about rehabilitation of prisoner?

Q2. How many different types of rehabilitation are there?

Q3. From how many years you have been in this field?

Sample questionnaire

1. Is rehabilitation of prisoners necessary?

a) Strongly Agree b) Agree c) Disagree d) Strongly Disagree

2. Do you think prisoners want to rehabilitate themselves?

a) Strongly Agree b) Agree c) Disagree d) Strongly Disagree

3. Can rehabilitation change the life of prisoners in your opinion?

a) Strongly Agree b) Agree c) Disagree d) Strongly Disagree

4. Rehabilitation is better than punishment?

a) Yes b) NO

5. Do rehabilitation helps the criminal to forget about their crimes?

a) Yes b) NO

6. Do the society will accept the rehabilitated prisoner?

a) Yes b) No

7. Are prisoners interested in rehabilitation activities?

a) Yes b) No

8. Have you ever come across a rehabilitated person?

a) Yes b) No

9. Do rehabilitation have only positive effects in the life of prisoners?

a) Yes b) No.

10. Do rehabilitation helps the prisoners in becoming a better person?

a) Yes b) No