Bengal gets ready for second open-air correctional home

“Open-air correctional homes house inmates who have shown improvement in behaviour and are ready to be integrated into the mainstream of the society. The home at Lalgola saw inmates granted permission to work and learn skills outside and then report back at night,” said BD Sharma,Inspector-General,Prisons.

Lalgola convicts are,however,engaged in agriculture-based activities only. The absence of any home in the state to facilitate rehabilitation of convicts with urban background denied the convicts the opportunity of vocational training. Durgapur promises to be a home to help reintegrate convicts in industrial work. The convicts will be trained in motor winding and electrical wiring,repair and maintenance of wheelers,sanitary and sewage system and plumbing,bicycle repairing and mobile phone repairing.

“The Lalgola home has been running quite successfully for the last 22 years. However,while the other states have increased the number of such open air jails,our state is lagging behind,” said Sharma. “The home at Lalgola proves inconvenient for the families of the convicts as it is situated in a remote corner of the state,” he added.