Lived Experiences of Incarcerated Individuals in Lahore Prison
Kiran Akbar Khan1 & Saadia Dildar2
Abstract
The current phenomenological study aims at exploring the different lived
experiences of incarcerated individuals in prison through interviews. The purpose
of study was to explore diverse lived experiences of the prisoners including both
males and females. Through purposive sampling 3 males and 3 females (N=6) in
total were selected for the study from Central Jail Kot Lakhpat, Lahore. Interview
guide developed by authors of the study was used for in-depth exploration of lived
experiences of incarcerated individuals in semi-structured interviews. Major
theme Dissatisfaction with Jail Environment was derived from the data which was
collected through semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was used to
identify the collective theme. Additionally, secondary theme such as lack of basic
necessities was derived from the major theme. The results revealed that the
prisoners‟ quality of life inside prison was very poor. They lacked basic
necessities which were required to sustain a normal life. Overall findings showed
that prisoners were deprived of their basic rights and facilities inside jail. The
findings can be implicated to overhaul the conditions of jail environment and to
make reformative role of prison possible.
Keywords: Lived experiences, incarcerated individuals, environmental problems,
quality of life of prisoners.