From Colonial Prisons to Correction Services: Genuine Reform or Cosmetic Shift?

On 26 August 2025, IG Prisons announced that the Government had decided to rename the Department of Prisons to Correction Services Bangladesh. This move came with a list of ‘reforms’ and drafting of a new piece of legislation, the Correction Services Act 2025. But this begs an important question: will Bangladesh finally break from its colonial legacy or is this merely a cosmetic exercise? The fact is that the mere name change has some symbolic and political value but whether it will result in real structural change depends on the political will of the relevant authorities. Rooted in the 1894 Prisons Act, Bangladesh inherited a system designed for control, not rehabilitation. With the backing of laws, prisons were built to snuff out opposition and incarcerate nationalist leaders. Post-independence period did not witness any change in the administrative system of these institutions. Overcrowding, poor medical care and delays in the trials of inmates became symbol of jails. The same colonial structure was bequeathed to Bangladesh at its independence in 1971. A legacy that persists despite independence and minor legislative pinches.

The Correction Services Act 2025 is a tremendous opportunity for Bangladesh to bring structural change to the prison system. Probation, parole, circle sentencing and open prisons for nonviolent offenders can be incorporated to reduce overcrowding. The annual budget of each inmate needs to be increased as well. Furthermore, the concerned authority has to facilitate appropriate vocational and skill-based training to inmates that will increase their employability prospects. At least 70 percent of inmates need to receive skill-building training before release. Finally, independent review panels, NGOs, universities and community organizers need to be integrated into the reformation procedure. Bangladesh stands at a crossroads: either embrace a model of genuine correction or remain trapped in the old punishment school with a new nameplate. The choice is political but its consequences will be human.

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