INTER - LINKED: Caste and Labour Segregation in Prison Systems

Prisons are punitive spaces, but they punish certain vulnerable prisoners in more ways than one. What happens when the structures that aim to protect us, through constitutional guarantees become breeding grounds to reinforce untouchability and segregation? In her recent article, “From Segregation to Labour, Manu’s Caste Law Governs the Indian Prison System” published in the Wire, Ms. Sukanya Shantha provides us an insight into how in several states, prison manuals still dictate the kind of labour that should be assigned to prisoners based on caste. We aim to have a larger conversation on marginalized inmates and their basic human rights, the psychological impact of labour segregation, deconstructing such violence and the motivation behind her work.