International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

E-ISSN: 2582-2160   •   Impact Factor: 9.24

A Widely Indexed Open Access Peer Reviewed Multidisciplinary Bi-monthly Scholarly International Journal

Call for Paper Volume 7, Issue 2 (March-April 2025) Submit your research before last 3 days of April to publish your research paper in the issue of March-April.
Submit Research Paper Join as a Reviewer

Plagiarism is checked by the leading plagiarism checker TurnItIn

Call for Paper

Volume 7 Issue 2
March-April 2025

Submit your research paper

Indexing Partners
Academia Advanced Sciences Index Bielefeld Academic Search Engine CiteSeer DRJI Google Scholar Independent Search Engine & Directory Network ISI (International Scientific Indexing) Issuu Mendeley Research Networks
RefSeek ResearcherId - Thomson Reuters ResearchGate Scirus Scribd Semantic Scholar UTeM - Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka Wiki for Call for Papers WorldCat Zenodo

Justice in Limbo: Examining the Ripple Effects of Delayed Criminal Trials on Prisoners, Overcrowded Prisons, and Rehabilitation in India

Author(s) Harshita Bajaj, Minakshi Sinha
Country India
Abstract Justice is often delayed in India’s criminal justice system, leading to dire consequences for undertrial prisoners, overcrowded prisons, and inadequate rehabilitation. Despite constitutional guarantees under Article 21, thousands of prisoners remain incarcerated without conviction due to prolonged trials. As per Prison Statistics India 2022, 75.5% of India’s prison population comprises undertrials, a sharp increase from previous years. Delayed trials not only violate human rights but also contribute to prison overcrowding, leading to inhumane living conditions and inadequate access to rehabilitation programs. The Supreme Court, in Hussainara Khatoon v. State of Bihar (1980), reaffirmed that a speedy trial is integral to the right to life and liberty, yet judicial vacancies, frequent adjournments, and police inefficiencies continue to obstruct timely justice. Overcrowding strains prison infrastructure, further diminishing the effectiveness of correctional programs and increasing recidivism. This paper critically examines the systemic inefficiencies causing delays in criminal trials and their cascading effects on prisoners, the penal system, and societal reintegration. It also proposes judicial, procedural, and policy reforms, including enhanced judge-population ratios, fast-track courts, alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, and improved investigative procedures. Urgent interventions are necessary to uphold justice and ensure that incarceration serves its intended purpose—rehabilitation, not indefinite punishment.
Keywords Overcrowding, Criminal Trials, Rehabilitation
Published In Volume 7, Issue 1, January-February 2025
Published On 2025-02-28
DOI https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i01.38006
Short DOI https://doi.org/g86w44
View / Download PDF File

Share this



E-ISSN 2582-2160
CrossRef

CrossRef DOI is assigned to each research paper published in our journal.

IJFMR DOI prefix is
10.36948/ijfmr

Downloads
Research Paper Format Copyright Permission Form and Undertaking Form Cover Page Vol 7 Isu 2Cover Page Vol 7 Isu 1Cover Page Vol 6 Isu 6

All research papers published on this website are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, and all rights belong to their respective authors/researchers.

CC-BY-SA Open Access

About IJFMR
Fees & Payment
Current Issue
Publication Archive 		Submit Research Paper
Track Submission Status
Publication Guidelines
Publication Ethics
Peer Review & Plagiarism 		Join as a Reviewer
Editors & Reviewers
Reviewer Referral Program
Get Reviewer Membership Certi. 		Website/Journal Policies
Usage Policy
Content Policies
Privacy Policy
Contact Us +91-9687-828-838 editor@ijfmr.com