Police and Correction of Offenders

• NCJ Number: 84223
• Journal: Social Defence Volume: 17 Issue: 65 Dated: (July 1981) Pages: 32-37
• Author(s): Mehrajuddin
• Date Published: 1981
• Length: 6 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Indian Council of Social Science Research
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: India
• Note: Paper is part of author's research project, 'Effects of the Long-term Sentences on the Re-socialization of the Prisoners.'

Annotation

Surveys of criminal justice personnel, citizens, and prisoners in India reveal a belief that police officers are usually hostile towards accused persons and ex-offenders and suggest that this hostility adversely affects an offender's chances for readjustment to society.

Abstract

Although no society can exist or function without the support of an organized police force, it is the most hated institution in any type of government. Initial encounters with police directly mold an offender's behavior, subsequently influencing the processes of correction and resocialization. A survey of lawyers, judges, prison officers, prisoners, ex-prisoners, and citizens showed that 85 percent believed the usual attitude of a police officer toward an accused persons was hostile. Subjected to constant police pressures during an investigation, accused individuals enter custody with hostility toward police that is aggravated during prison and upon release. A survey of prisoners and ex-prisoners revealed that almost all characterized police officers as either rude, corrupt, or inhuman. Studies from other countries demonstrate that this is a worldwide phenomenon. The primary reason for this attitude appears to be inhuman treatment experienced during police custody. It is understandable that police are more receptive to concepts of retribution than social reintegration because of community pressures and work experiences, but this hostile attitude creates further hostility, particularly for ex-offenders. Tables and references are included.