Under India's Prison Act, inmates are classified as being in pretrial detention, juveniles, male, and female. There are no classification committees in most prisons. In most cases, classification is done by court clerks. This practice should be stopped, and prison classification committees composed of trained staff should perform classification tasks. The social casework method should be the most useful in diagnosing inmates for treatment. Upon arrival at prison, each inmate should be kept in isolation until an appropriate treatment program is planned, based upon the classification committee's recommendations. Classification should be made on the basis of age, sex, social status, and the nature of the crime. Prior criminal history should also be considered. An analysis of the problems and needs of each inmate must form the basis for treatment plans and custodial care. For classification to have its intended effect, treatment programs should be monitored to ensure they are implemented according to plan. Also, inmate progress should be regularly measured and treatment adjusted accordingly. 13 references.