Criminal Justice Social Work Education and Practice in India: An Analysis

Abstract

Criminal Justice Social Work in India has existed for over seven decades, yet it has remained a limited and neglected subject area with a narrow client group. The narrow client group consists of offenders that are within the criminal justice system and crime prevention. Criminal Justice Social Work has failed to evolve into a more sophisticated and analytical field. This article illustrates the progressive withdrawal of social work from the arena of criminal justice because of its submission to a narrow conceptualisation of criminal justice social work. This article further discusses on the essential curricula requirements for developing a robust program for Criminal Justice Social Work and concludes with the premise that while many challenges face Criminal Justice Social Work, with the re emergence of the neo-liberal state, it is one of the most relevant fields of practice for marginalised and vulnerable persons.