Yerawada Central Prison sets an example

Yerawada Central Prison sets an example Prison inmates are being taught life-changing skills with the help of NGOs to enable them to earn a livelihood BY BARNALEE HANDIQUE @barnalee Behind the impregnable high-rise walls of Yerawada Central Prison, an industry is silently changing the lives of inmates. This one of the largest prisons in South Asia has a rich history. A number of freedom fighters such as Mahatma Gandhi, Sarojini Naidu, Jawaharlal Nehru, Lokmanya Tilak and Motilal Nehru were imprisoned here during the freedom struggle. Prison superintendent Yogesh Desai invited me to his chamber in the jail, that was built in 1871. I saw some slice of the inmates’ craftsmanship in artistic paintings adorning the walls of the chamber and a shining brass plaque engraved with a Mahahashtra Police symbol. Desai said that the decorative items have been made by the inmates. The freshly baked cookies that were offered with tea were straight from the prison bakery. The jail official said that the inmates, 3,500 convicts including 250 women, manage the various enterprises like bakery, looms, carpentry and agricultural farms in a synchronised manner, under the supervision of Desai’s team of 150 staff. First step The objective behind setting up shops was to provide a platform for inmates to change, reform and rehabilitate. “We wanted to engage them in a particular skill that will facilitate them to earn a livelihood after their release. Additional director general of police (prisons) Meeran Chadha Borwankar has revived many units that were shutdown,” Desai said. Cells and industrial units are spread over the 64-acre jail area. The sounds that are heard inside the jail come from the furniture workshop, bakery, looms and smithy. Farming is done on the agricultural tract adjacent to the prison. Building blocks Equipped with the latest machines and looms, the bedsheets, teak-wood furniture, handmade files and gift wrappers and hand-woven carpets made in the jail are famous. Stitching uniforms for a school in Shirur and making barracks for a college are the latest orders that the jail has bagged. The prison has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Science and Technology Park (STP) to study and determine the areas for providing technological skills to supplement the ongoing process of inmate rehabilitation by making them employable. “We are tyingup with authorities like the industries department of Mahratta Chamber of Commerce Industries & Agriculture (MCCIA), department of technical and vocational skills. Food expert Karen Anand and designer Falguni Gokhale are helping us with marketing and designing our logo,” Borwanker said. Training The state government provides teachers to train inmates in a trade that interest them. The Rotary Club of Pune Central has assigned a teacher to help Sanjay Dutt to make paper bags that are later sold to various boutiques in Mumbai and Thane. A professional artist from Nagpur had taught Rahul More, who is serving a life term. City artist Ravi Paranjape had recently inaugurated the exhibition of More’s works organised at Balgandharva. NGOs, Crossword, Prison Ministry, Vedanta Foundation and Yuva Parivartan are providing computer training to prisoners. Godrej and Art of Living Foundation will soon train inmates to repair ACs and refrigerators. Incentive and duration Cash incentives are given to inmates for their work. The daily wage of an unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled worker is Rs 25, Rs 35 and Rs 40 respectively. The money can be used by the inmate to buy fruits or other requirements or send it home. The working hours are between 7.30 am and 10.30 am, followed by one-hour lunch break and then from noon till 4 pm. The inmates work in groups of 10 to 14 under the guidance of an instructor, except on Sundays and government holidays. According to the jail superintendent, women inmates are taught how to make dusters, coasters, candles, incense sticks, sarees, embroidery and purses. Special classes are also run to train them to become beauticians and nurses. “Our skilled inmates can easily fill manpower in various industries,” Desai said. The sale and business It is mandatory for government offices, institutes and colleges to fulfill their requirement from the products made at the jail. The prison also supplies bread and other bakery products to the nearby Yerawada mental asylum. The central prison also maintains a store displaying finished products on sale for civilians. Exhibitions are also organised during festivals. The prison store also participated at the Farmers’ Markets and the Yellow Ribbon Festival organised by Ishanya Mall. The jail has three of the 11 correctional units across the state and these small centres are said to be the biggest contributors to Maharashtra’s Rs 8 crore prison industries. The Yerawada prison had contributed Rs 18 lakh in the last financial year. The smiles on the faces of inmates who have learnt skills that will secure them a future life of dignity, tells the success of a plan to change the lives of these prisoners. barnalee.handique@goldensparrow.com