2 min read Chandigarh May 3, 2026 10:18 AM IST The state’s new law marks a "serious attempt" to humanize jails. From mental health support to strict accountability and tech-driven security, Punjab is prioritizing reform over retribution. (File Photo) Written By KBS Sidhu Punjab’s new Prisons and Correctional Services law deserves a fair reading. It marks a serious attempt to move beyond the colonial Prisons Act of 1894 and recognises that a modern prison system cannot rest on custody and discipline alone. It must also address security, rehabilitation, technology, accountability and the dignity of inmates. That is a significant shift for a State that has grappled with militancy, organised crime, gang violence, prison-security failures such as the 2016 Nabha jailbreak, and deep public distrust in institutions. Punjab can ill afford a prison law rooted in colonial assumptions. The new legislation appears to get several things right.…