PRISON DIARIES (3) - Education and Skilling

PRISON DIARIES (3)

Education and Skilling

              It is commonly said that a man commits violence for two things- money and women. I am not too sure about the women part though I have seen crimes happening apparently over issues connected with women, but money or lack of it is one predominant cause for crimes happening all over the world. People do crimes on the spur of the moment too, on sudden provocation or under the influence of prohibited substances. But if he is sufficiently educated, he will not be provoked enough to commit violent crimes even under the influence of drugs and alcohol. That is why education and skilling are given a lot of importance in prison administration.

              Whatever be the reason they have committed the crime, correctional education is given in prisons with the sole purpose of reforming him, making him mend his ways so that he understands the gravity of the offense committed, accepts his mistakes and repent it. Previously prison officers used to decide what sort of training each prisoner gets and his interests were never taken into consideration. What will happen if an inmate who has an aptitude for animal rearing gets intensive training in carpentry and is made to work in that unit in prison? He is very unlikely to enjoy or even learn carpentry well and each second of his work there will make him angry at the lopsided system. 

 

So we started calling for willingness of inmates in the various skill modules. We also asked if they would like to learn a new skill which is not there in our programme. Selection of prisoners for each course was taken after taking into consideration their interests also. If a person wants to work in the “Food for Freedom” (FFF) unit, which is the prison’s in-house food making unit then we choose him for that. Many inmates have expressed their desire to learn cooking and work in chappathy (Indian flat bread) units and bakeries. Later I learned that the aroma of bread baking stimulates release of endorphins (a hormone) which makes them feel good! New skills were introduced also with intention to market the end products so that prison department could also generate some income for the government.

A new skill introduced was beautician course. To those who expressed interest to imbibe the skills of a beautician or masseur were imparted training on that. Now we have beauty parlours in the compound of three prisons with expert barbers and beauticians taking care of the grooming needs of the public. We have named these beauty parlours “Phoenix”.  The Phoenix outlet in Kannur Central Prison alone fetches revenue of Rs 7 lakhs a month. I was amazed to see convicts who were sentenced for murder and dacoity wielding dangerous tools such as knife, scissors and razors to serve the public who sit trustingly before them with eyes closed to get a haircut or shave. Soon there will be a Phoenix parlour for women too; we have already given training to over 15 women inmates on these fine skills. To some inmates who expressed a desire to learn fashion designing and tailoring, we gave training in that. Handloom is a traditional skill established within prisons since its inception. We make cotton and linen cloth in bulk. It is with this cloth that the white uniform for inmates is made. We also make indigenously the bed sheets and pillow covers, floor mats, blankets and durries for internal consumption. After skilling the inmates in fashion technology, we created different types of cloth in our mills and are now making latest fashion shirts and kurtas, ladies dress and night dress, good quality bed linen and floor mats for selling them through our outlet in the capital city which my able predecessor named as “Free Fashionista.”(FF) See how each unit has the words ‘free’ or ‘freedom’ associated with it? These skills are the tools which will give freedom in its purest sense to the prisoners. Freedom of choice, freedom to learn a new trade, freedom to work in a career they will be interested in after their jail term and working in these units are the keys towards getting freedom earlier than expected.

Oh, how that is possible, you may ask. Let me explain.

Convicts in jail are eligible to get remission in sentence if their conduct is good and if they work well in their chosen trade within prisons. As per the Prison Act & Rules, the Superintendant of prisons can give two days per every month as remission and extra two days every quarter for exemplary work. For some inmates who have put in services which are above the normal work, remission up to 60 days per year can be given. Remission does not mean sudden ending of the sentence, but reduction in the total term of sentence of a prisoner. 

We now give special training on over 20 different skills including electrical wiring, plumbing, carpentry, computer hardware, metallurgy, shoe making, screen printing, book binding, animal husbandry, organic farming, aqua farming, soap/lotion making, candle making, handicrafts, driving, music and musical instruments, construction work and the like. There is a unit of the Central Polytechnic at the Central Prisons for continued skilling. Those who pass tests are issued certificates with photographs which alone is sufficient for them to get good employment once they get released. This certificate does not mention where this training was given or whether the trained were in prison or not. In the past 20 months, over 120 people, after release from the jails, have obtained employment which fetch them daily wage of around 900 rupees a day. Several people have started their own entrepreneurships too.  Around 40 women convicts were given training on driving two, three and four wheelers and 24 were given driving licences after tests conducted within jail premises. Of those who got their licenses, two women are driving ‘she taxis’ after their release and one lady started her own driving school. Two ladies now drive autorikshaws which they purchased with loans raised with the help of prison officers.

Apart from skilling, formal education is another important factor that we take care to give the convicts. Now, there is a wing of the Kerala University functioning within the Central Prison in Trivandrum to cater to the educational requirements of inmates. We allow the prisoners to pursue various courses and write public examinations. Those who have not completed school due to financial or other difficulties are taught lessons and exams conducted within prisons. Adult educations, teaching of regional language to prisoners from outside the state and English to those who require it are also going on in full swing. There are prisoners who are pursuing even PG courses, professional courses such as LLB and one research scholar within the prisons in this state.

Yet another area which has been drastically developed is library. The Central prisons alone have over 50,000 books in each library. We have obtained the library grant to purchase the books needed by the inmates. We teach library science to those interested. We are in the process of fully digitising the libraries too. In Trivandrum Central Prison, there are ‘kindles’ available for prisoners which they can take to their cells and read even after the lights are shut off. In each kindle, over 16,000 books are loaded.

Every week we have people from various NGOs and religious outfits coming into the prison to impart moral and religious education to inmates too. Counselling sessions, legal aid clinic and other welfare activities like Jail Days, TV/Film clubs, debate clubs, musical clubs, drama and sports activities- they all work towards learning and reform of prisoners.

Previously, the inmates in District Jail, Special Sub Jails and Sub Jails were never taken out of their cells except for their biological needs in the morning which has caused a lot of problems among cell mates. As per the Act & Rules only convicted prisoners are eligible for wages for employment within prisons. So only the convicts will be taken out of lock up. Being locked up in cells when the sun shines outside is a horrible thing. The emotional strain and the congestion as well as the foul air with in used to lead to frequent problems in these prisons where under trial prisoners and remanded accused are housed. Cliques will be formed and they fight against each other. Professional criminals teach novices the subtle art of crime and shares stories of how they evaded police and arrest. They plan prison breaks. And in the night time, they indulge in gay sex. Sometimes indoor games such as snake and ladder, caroms etc are given to them. They fight over that too.

An idle mind is devil’s workshop. So I issued an order that even under trial/ remand prisoners should be taken out of prisons and made to do some activity or the other. Now people go to these jails to teach inmates small skills such as paper bag making, umbrella making and handicrafts. Women prisoners are given training on toy and jewellery making. They are made to exercise and play some outdoor games. In the available spaces within the compound, vegetable cultivation has been encouraged. One Sub Jail now grows grapes and other exotic fruits in the ground next to the kitchen. In a special sub jail, an artificial pond has been made and fish farming is an activity there. Some prisoners love to do work in the kitchen, so breakfast items such as idly, puttu etc are prepared in large quantities for sales through Freedom Food Factory outlets. When these inmates are made to work for 8 to 9 hours every day, it gives them a lot of relief from boredom. They learn new things and interact positively to farming and other activities. They do not sit and sulk in a cell corner any more, but are a happier lot. There is considerably less in fighting or gay sex reported these days. Several inmates have told me that they do not require anti depressants or sleeping pills after they started working outside in the compounds. Also, the visits of psychiatrists to the prisons got reduced once we introduced this system.

It is sad to see very young males coming to the prisons in pathetic conditions of withdrawal symptoms. Boys as young as 18 and 19 with severe anxiety, depression and other symptoms related to drug withdrawal get arrested and they create turmoil within the cells. Sometimes they cause injuries to themselves by beating their heads against the bars or walls or biting their hands. The prison officers are not trained enough to handle such cases. Prolonged drug abuse also makes them mentally unstable. I always feel that the Excise Department should have a system or special programme with NGOs or Youth Commission and start targeting the youth in creating awareness about drugs so that this problem will not rise to menacing levels. Recently, a 19 year old boy who had severe withdrawal symptoms died in the hospital cell of the Medical College and his parents refused to accept his body! Not because they have any complaints against police or jail officers, but because they simply didn’t want him. “This boy has always been a terrible nuisance beating up even his parents. We disowned him long back. Why should we bother to accept him after his death? We don’t have any money for his burial.” His uncle told when we went to enquire why no one came to accept his body.