Articles by Dr Penelope Tong

Dr Penelope Tong is a trained social worker who has completed a Master’s degree in Social Work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, with a specialization in Criminology and Correctional Administration. She also holds a post graduate diploma in counselling psychology and a PhD in Social Work with a focus on the criminal justice system. She has almost two decades of practice experience through Prayas (a field action project of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences) with women in prison, released prisoners, and victims of violent crime. She is currently a fieldwork supervisor with the School of Social Work, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai where she is involved in practice education.

How do you learn to work in a prison?

March 4, 2024

Prisons are taken for granted within ‘civilised’ societies; we often do not think of the what and why of the institution. Often, we find ourselves at one of three points on a continuum: being oblivious and uninterested, feeling secure in knowing that there is a prison, or being concerned about the people who reach prison.