Sub-jail turns into hermitage; crooks made gentlemen

Khammam: Jails and slammers in the State are no longer scary dungeons where prisoners are put into condemned cells and subjected to inhuman treatment by the sentinels. Now, they are more of reformation centres where the convicts are transformed into gentlemen who can lead decent lives once they come out of the penal complex.

A classical example of this revolutionary change is Khammam district sub-jail where the inmates are being transformed into responsible citizens. The Prisons Department, under the supervision of Director General of Police (Prisons), is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that every convict lodged in the jail comes out like any ordinary citizens with a commitment to the society.

Khammam Superintendent of Police (Prisons) G Ramachandram seems to be on a mission to bring good name and fame to the sub-jail. The efforts to reform the convicts started in 2007 when the Congress was in power in the united Andhra Pradesh. The then Home Minister K Jana Reddy started the work. The jail has been on a development trail since them and now the inmates are all disciplined souls, thanks to the efforts of the authorities.

The prisoners have been offered physical training in order to make them physically strong. The training on the lines of police training, is aimed at transforming them into duty-bound citizens. During the training they learn the importance of physical fitness. “Health is wealth. Physical fitness helps them to be mentally fit and in turn make them more intelligent and sensible,” said Ramachandram.

He said as most of the convicts were illiterates, the department was giving them classes to make them literates. Vidya volunteers and other social activists have been assigned to teach the jail inmates. District Collector D S Lokesh Kumar’s contribution in the form of guidelines and other help was instrumental in bringing many changes in the jail inmates, Ramachandram said.

Till now, a total 6,500 prisoners have been made literates since 2014, he said adding that in order to help them gain knowledge, library facilities were also available in the jail. “The DGP allotted Rs 50,000 to start the library. Our motto is ‘jails should be hermitages’. After serving his prison term, a convict should not be unemployed. For that purpose, the department has been conducting coaching in tailoring, carpentry, plumbing, agriculture/gardening works etc.,” he said.

Full-fledged staff were recruited for providing training to the inmates. In order to provide employment to the inmates, the Prisons Department has started 50 petrol bunks across the State. The credit of running the Rs 8 crore turnover business goes to the inmates of various jails in the State.

Those who work in the petrol bunks get Rs 9,000 per month in municipalities and in metropolitan cities, they are getting Rs 12,000 per month. The remuneration would be further increased to Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000.

“The money thus earned by the jail is being sent to their families. Utilisation of human power is multi-dimensional. Some inmates are also sent to Anandashrams and orphanages to serve old people and destitute. We have also launched a few products with the help of jail inmates. They make towels, doormats, benches, chairs and garments. We sell these products through our stalls. There are 32 such stalls across the State,” Ramachandram said.

By Ahmad Patan