Govt plans rehabilitation programme for prisoners

With about 65 per cent of the jail inmates as undertrials in the prisons of Gujarat,state jail administration has decided to give them legal guidance and motivational help to rehabilitate them.

While on one hand,the authorities have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with some of the religious and spiritual groups to organise motivational camps in jails,legal experts would visit the undertrials and give them guidance on different aspects of law useful to them,said Inspector General of Police (Jails) P C Thakur.

We are going to take help of Yogakshem Foundation for Human Dignity,a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) based in Ahmedabad. It has legal experts and advocates. These people would go to various jails and talk to undertrials. They will guide the inmates on filing bail applications and the amendments made to Criminal Procedure Code, said Thakur. Yoga,meditation,Jamaat-e-Islami guidance sessions,and Art of Living courses will be organised from April 1 to instil confidence and sense of purpose among the jail inmates,said Thakur.

The jail authorities have also planned to introduce computer education in Sabarmati Jail. A memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with the Baba Ambedkar University to start study centres in prisons. An arrangement has also been made with the Society for Creation of Opportunity through Proficiency in English (SCOPE) of the Gujarat government to teach English to jail inmates.

We are starting with 24 computers for jail staff and the inmates in Sabarmati Jail. Once they attain some proficiency,we will be extending the facility to other jails as well. We are also planning to issue certificates to the inmates upon finishing the course. On the other hand,an examination system with 10+2 structure would also be employed for illiterate inmates, said Thakur.

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