2 min readChandigarhMay 3, 2026 10:18 AM ISTThe state’s new law marks a "serious attempt" to humanize jails. From mental health support to strict accountability and tech-driven security, Punjab is prioritizing reform over retribution. (File Photo)Written By KBS SidhuPunjab’s new Prisons and Correctional Services law deserves a fair reading. It marks a serious attempt to move beyond the colonial Prisons Act of 1894 and recognises that a modern prison system cannot rest on custody and discipline alone. It must also address security, rehabilitation, technology, accountability and the dignity of inmates.That is a significant shift for a State that has grappled with militancy, organised crime, gang violence, prison-security failures such as the 2016 Nabha jailbreak, and deep public distrust in institutions. Punjab can ill afford a prison law rooted in colonial assumptions.The new legislation appears to get several things right. It seeks to recast prisons as correctional institutions, with greater emphasis on education, counselling, legal aid, vocational activity and reintegration, while also strengthening controls over dangerous and high-risk inmates. It reflects a realistic reading of Punjab’s prison problem, where gangsters and organised criminals have allegedly continued to exercise influence from behind bars. Any meaningful reform had to respond through inmate classification, high-security arrangements, surveillance, digital systems and tighter internal regulation.That deserves support. A prison system that allows jails to become command centres for extortion, narcotics and intimidation is not humane, merely incompetent.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:chandigarhAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...Advertisement