India has 22 open prisons functioning in 12 States. Generally, the prisons are located within 5-16 kilometers of the nearest town. The States have established criteria for the selection of offenders for open prisons. The prisoners are given extended leave to spend in the community, with the length and frequency of community visits usually depending upon length of time in custody and behavior. In most of the States, inmates work at agricultural and agro-industrial jobs, and should receive competitive wages. Some States deduct the cost of maintenance and supervision from these wages. Inmates are required to work 7-8 hours daily in most of the States. There is no systematic effort for helping inmates secure employment after release, although in Uttar Pradesh, inmates may register their names in the employment exchange 2 or 3 months before release. The programs of open prisons could be improved by offering a greater variety of vocational training experiences and by increasing the involvement of inmate families and the community in the rehabilitation process. More social workers should be used to help individualize rehabilitation programs and prepare inmates for release. The prison staffs should be trained in modern methods of diagnosing, motivating, and redirecting human behavior. Further, the overcrowded open prisons should take fewer short-term prisoners, who could be handled by other means.