THE PRISON SYSTEM OF BANGLADESH: FROM RECIDIVISM TO REFORMATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37231/apj.2025.8.2.755Abstract
Abstract: The prison system in Bangladesh faces numerous challenges, including chronic overcrowding, insufficient rehabilitation initiatives, and a punitive model that intensifies recidivism. This study critically examines these systemic issues within the correctional facilities and explores reforms necessary to transition from a punitive model to one centered on rehabilitation. The study employs a qualitative approach based on secondary data analysis, drawing from scholarly literature, legal documents, policy reports, newspapers, and case studies. This method facilitates the identification and examination of systemic barriers to effective prisoner reformation, including inadequate access to education, vocational training, mental health services, and post-release support mechanisms. These factors significantly contribute to the high rates of recidivism and hinder the reintegration of former inmates into society. By analyzing global best practices in prison reform, the research advocates for adopting rehabilitative strategies— such as restorative justice, skill development, and comprehensive reintegration programs —to reduce reoffending. The study emphasizes the importance of education and vocational training as tools for equipping inmates with the skills needed for societal reintegration and long term success. In addition, psychological counselling is essential for addressing the root causes of criminal behavior and facilitating emotional and social rehabilitation. The findings suggest that a shift towards rehabilitation-focused reforms, bolstered by targeted policy interventions, could significantly reduce recidivism rates and foster a more just and humane prison system. This research highlights the need for holistic policy reforms that not only address the conditions within the prison system but also promote reintegration programs for former inmates to ensure their successful re-entry into society.
Keywords: Bangladesh; Criminal Justice System; Prison System; Recidivism; Reformation.
References
Bikundo, E. (2021). Unlawful human experimentation in the wake of the trials under Control Council Law No. 10 at Nuremberg, in the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court, and at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia. In P. Emma, B. Edwin, H. R. Susan, C. Martin, Futures of international criminal justice (pp.157–174). Routledge.
Das, S. (2023). A critical analysis of the criminal justice system on speedy trial: Bangladesh perspective (Doctoral dissertation, East West University).
Farrington, D. P. (2020). Childhood risk factors for criminal career duration: Comparisons with prevalence, onset, frequency, and recidivism. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, 30(4), 159– 171.
Green, D. A. (2015). US penal-reform catalysts, drivers, and prospects. Punishment & Society, 17(3), 271–298.
Haider, M. A., & Iamtrakul, P. (2022). Analyzing street crime hotspots and their associated factors in Chittagong city, Bangladesh. Sustainability, 14(15), 9322.
Halle, C., Tzani-Pepelasi, C., Pylarinou, N.-R., & Fumagalli, A. (2020). The link between mental health, crime, and violence. New Ideas in Psychology, 58(2020), 100779.
Hamid, M. A., & Begum, H. (2018). Education training and human rights of the prisoners in Bangladesh. International Journal of Educational Studies, 1(2), 26–70.
Henry, E. (2023). Article 5 – The prohibition of torture. In C. R. Humberto, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (pp. 104–136). Brill.
Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research, Birkbeck. (2022). World Prison Brief Data. https://www.prisonstudies.org/country/bangladesh.
Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research, Birkbeck. (n.d.). Bangladesh. World Prison Brief. Retrieved July 8, 2025, from https://www.prisonstudies.org/country/bangladesh.
Islam, M. K. (2022). A scenario of probation system in Bangladesh: An appraisal. International Journal of Law, Management & Humanities, 5(5), 1411.
Islam, M. O. (2020). Causes of crime and its remedy: Bangladesh perspective.
Islam, R. (2022, September 30). Only four physicians for around 83,000 inmates. English Prothom Alo. https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/2sw4r2cj3f.
Islam, R. (2023, November 8). Prisons teeming with inmates. Prothom Alo. https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/pcvyeoz4yn.
Kailash, S. (2008, May 17). Neglect of duty, poor building construction blamed for jailbreak. The Daily Star.
Kanak, M. A. A., & Chowdhury, M. M. R. (2014). The present rights of prisoners in Bangladesh: Disparity between law and practice. International Journal of Social Sciences, 3(4), 156–167.
Khatun, M. N., & Islam, M. J. (2018). Crime in Bangladesh: A historical overview. Social Science Review, 35(2), 1–33.
Loeffler, C. E., & Nagin, D. S. (2022). The impact of incarceration on recidivism. Annual Review of Criminology, 5(1), 133–152.
Miah, M. A. K., Aziz, M. B., & Sikder, M. N. H. (2015). Nature and causes of recidivism among the prisoners: A study on Tangail District Jail, Bangladesh. Journal of Science and Technology, 5(1), 107-116.
Rahman, F. (2023). Offender rehabilitation programs and techniques: Bangladesh and international perspectives.
Sejan, S. S., & Chowdhury, S. (2019, April 27). Right to rehabilitation of prisoners in BD. The Daily Observer. https://www.observerbd.com/news/195021.
Siraji, T. A. (2024, February 17). Our prisoners deserve proper treatment for mental, ethical reforms. Daily Observer. https://www.observerbd.com/news/497752.
Sun Online Desk. (2019, September 30). New food menu introduced for prisoners. Daily Sun. https://www.daily-sun.com/post/399812.
Sykes, G. M. (2007). The society of captives: A study of a maximum security prison. Princeton University Press.
The Daily Star. (2008, March 23). Factory opens inside Dhaka jail to rehabilitate prisoners. The Daily Star. https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-61829.
Tomaz, V., Moreira, D., & Souza Cruz, O. (2023). Criminal reactions to drug-using offenders: A systematic review of the effect of treatment and/or punishment on reduction of drug use and/or criminal recidivism. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14(2023), 935755.
Tsulaia, D. (2014). Prohibition of torture according to the international legal norms. J. Law, 204.
United Nations Economic and Social Council. (2021). Standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners. https://www.refworld.org/docid/514daf202.html.
Van der Put, C. E., Assink, M., & Gubbels, J. (2020). Differences in risk factors for violent, nonviolent, and sexual offending. Journal of Forensic Psychology Research and Practice, 20(4), 341–361.
van Zijl-Smit, D., & Dünkel, F. (Eds.). (2021). Imprisonment today and tomorrow: International perspectives on prisoners’ rights and prison conditions. Brill.
Waits, M. R. (2018). Imperial vision, colonial prisons: British jails in Bengal, 1823–73. Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, 77(2), 146–167.
World Health Organization. (2016, November 7). Pregnant women must be able to access the right care at the right time. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/07-11-2016- pregnant-women-must-be-able-to-access-the-right-care-at-the-right time-says-who.
Yesmen, N., & Mou, R. A. (2022). Recidivism of prisoners in Bangladesh: Trends and causes. Scholars International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice, 5(2), 80–86.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Upon acceptance of an article, authors will be asked to transfer copyright. This transfer will ensure the widest possible dissemination of information. A notification will be sent to the corresponding author confirming receipt of the manuscript. If excerpts from other copyrighted works are included, the author(s) must obtain written permission from the copyright owners and credit the source(s) in the article.
