Mumbai: Inside Kolhapur Central Prison, an inmate stirs a giant cauldron of a sweet concoction while his co-workers meticulously roll a mixture into ladoos. The finished delicacies are packed and make their way outside the prison gates to the Ambabai temple where they are served as ‘prasad’. The prison inmates are not just rolling out 10,000 ladoos a day, they are shattering social stigma and contributing to the state’s flourishing prison economy.In 2022-23, state prisons produced Rs 18cr worth of goods, generating a profit of over Rs 76 lakh, a 67% increase from the Rs 45.6 lakh profit made the previous year which saw produce worth Rs 11cr. In 2020-21, Rs 9.4cr worth of goods were produced, which raked in almost Rs 32 lakh in profit. Carpentry, tailoring, agriculture, handloom/ powerloom, agriculture, paper products, metalwork, bakery and leatherwork form the core of the prison industry. While traditional industries like carpentry rank high in terms of sales, innovation is taking root. This month, the Dhule District Prison unveiled unique ventures — a restaurant, a motorcycle washing station, a laundry and a salon — all to be run by 100 inmates from the prison’s Open program, which is known for relaxed security and fewer restrictions than a closed prison. The locals can access these services at reasonable rates, while the inmates get an opportunity to hone vocational skills and, more importantly, bridge the gap towards social acceptance. Nashik Prison inmates are weaving exquisite Paithani sarees, while Aurangabad jail has partnered with a company to train inmates in manufacturing automotive parts. However, launching new initiatives in prisons are not without their challenges. The prasad project at Kolhapur, for example, faced resistance from citizens initially. “We had to overcome social stigma to give our inmates a fair chance,” recalled DIG, prisons (western region) Swati Sathe. The project’s impact proved profound. Upon completing a batch of prasad, a female inmate shared a powerful sentiment that “if god could accept her work, maybe society would too”.Convicts sentenced to RI are allocated work in prison industries, considering factors like health, education, age and past work experience. On an average, 1,000 to 1,200 convicts are employed each year. The other inmates are given prison tasks such as cooking, housekeeping and security. Workers are given a daily wage based on their skills. They can utilise the money for legal purposes, family needs or personal expenses. Skilled workers earn Rs 74 per task a day, the highest, from the state. Semi-skilled workers are paid Rs 67, while the unskilled get Rs 53. In Pune’s Yerwada prison, workshops are laid out in a circle with living quarters strategically located nearby. The inmates have an 8-hour workday, coming in around 7.30am and wrapping up work by 4.30pm. Govt departments are encouraged to prioritise the purchase of prison-made goods, with a written justification required for any purchases made elsewhere. The prison department is required to put up a product catalogue on its e-portal every year, which can be viewed only by govt departments. “The biggest buyers of prison-made products are courts and law enforcement departments,” said a jailor. “As our furniture is made with high-quality teak, it gets snapped up quickly for use in courtrooms. Papers and files used by courts are made by inmates. Police get custom-made uniforms from us,” he added. Products are also sold to semi-govt and private entities. Also, showrooms located outside jail compounds offer citizens a chance to directly support inmates. Revenue generation is not the sole objective of prison industries. “Our goal is to equip inmates with skills for reintegration into society,” ADG, prisons, Amitabh Gupta said. Work also provides a sense of purpose to the inmates. Besides, inmates have the potential to earn reduced sentences. Yerwada inmates who designed Ganesh idols got a 10-day remission, showing the program’s focus on rehabilitation.
