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CHAPTER III
CRIME AND KARMA In prison, one naturally feels the absence of freedom inore acutely, and for the philosophically inclined, the problem of freedoin presents many interesting aspects. For example, there are prisoners-quite a lot of thcm-who like to be in jail. They corroborate the story that an old man coinmitted suicide when he was released from a long term of imprisonment. There is nothing pervers: in their mentality. After a long term of imprisoninent, one comes out cornpletely a misfit to the surroundings outside. For having been in jail, he is regarded as an out-caste. The struggle for life becomes for him much more difficult than previously. That being the case, it is quite natural for Jong-term prisoners, having nothing very particular attractive for their life outside, to get reconciled to the idea of living their entire life in jail, where at least the bare necessitics of physical existence are available to all and sundry. There are other prisoners who do not mind being in jail, although they may prefer to be outside. There is still another sort who do not seem to feel the loss of freedom very acutely. In them, the spiritual callousness produced by the vicissitudes of life attains almost philosophical detachment.
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