How caste shapes prison relationships: A qualitative systematic review

• In Event: PWG - Caste, race, and prison subcultures

Abstract

Caste is a significant force shaping life across South Asia and the South Asian diaspora globally. Caste-based discrimination, exploitation, and oppression actively influence South Asian criminal justice systems, including prisons. Anecdotal evidence highlights instances of severe caste oppression in South Asian prisons, including forcing prisoners from oppressed castes into manual scavenging and cleaning toilets. Until recently, caste segregation and caste-based rules governed prisons in many Indian states. In October 2024, the Supreme Court of India outlawed caste-based discrimination and segregation from prison administration rules. While this legal reform was widely celebrated, the broader influence of caste is likely to continue shaping prison social life beyond formal rules.
Several research studies have explored how identities like race and religion shape prison social life. However, similar understanding of how caste impacts prisons remains limited. Through this systematic review, I synthesised evidence on the impact of caste on prisoners’ interpersonal relationships and interactions. I searched four electronic databases: ProQuest, SCOPUS, Sage, and Taylor and Francis, without a year limit. Further, I searched Google for grey literature. Eligible literature includes studies based in prison or reflecting on prison social. I excluded studies focused solely on interactions between prisoners and prison administration, as well as research on racial caste systems and other caste systems outside of South Asia or South Asian diaspora. The data from selected sources were coded and synthesised thematically.
The study is the first systematic review to explore how caste influences prison social life. It examines caste’s positive and negative impact on prisoners’ interactions, friendships, hostilities, and violence. The systematic review also reveals how caste in-groups in prisons help prisoners cope with the deprivation and isolation. Lastly, the review analyses factors that promote inter-caste trust and friendships among prisoners.

Author

• Aditya Ranjan, Loughborough University