Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant is strongly advocating for technology-driven reforms in the country's prison system, drawing inspiration from the United Kingdom's approach to inmate monitoring. This initiative aims to transform prisons from purely punitive environments into spaces that actively promote reintegration into society.
Speaking at an event in Gurgaon on correctional reforms while inaugurating skill development and polytechnic courses inside Haryana jails, CJI Kant highlighted the importance of aligning prison training programs with the demands of the modern economy. He emphasized the need to equip inmates with digital skills, expertise in logistics, and other contemporary vocational skills to improve their employment prospects upon release. He suggested that companies could "adopt" prisons, providing apprenticeships and eventually recruiting trained inmates, thereby converting ability into opportunity.
One of the key proposals involves a paradigm shift inspired by the UK, where convicts are monitored using technology while being allowed to stay at home within a specific radius. This system, facilitated by a Bangalore-based software company, uses chips and advanced software to track inmates' movements, ensuring compliance while allowing them to maintain family connections, emotional stability, and financial security. The CJI noted that this is especially important for the children of incarcerated individuals, who are often the "invisible victims" of imprisonment.
In addition to tech-enabled monitoring, CJI Kant also advocated for the expansion of open prisons in India, viewing it as a more humane approach to criminal justice. He stressed the importance of data-driven reforms, asserting that a modern incarceration system should track behavioral progress and post-release outcomes to ensure that rehabilitation efforts are measurable, accountable, and effective.
CJI Kant has also been a proponent of integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the broader judicial system. He has previously spoken about using AI-based tools for legal research, transcription, and data analytics, emphasizing that technology should augment, not replace, human discernment. He has also acknowledged the importance of addressing the massive backlog of cases in Indian courts, with over 5 crore cases pending, particularly in district and subordinate courts. He sees technology and AI as vital tools to address this challenge.
The CJI has stressed that reforms such as live-streaming of proceedings, real-time publication of judgments, and a national digital case management system are essential for maintaining the judiciary's credibility and transparency. He has also pointed out that India is moving towards a unified, cloud-based "smart judicial ecosystem" enabled by AI, machine learning, and blockchain infrastructure under the e-Courts Phase III program.
