Jail inmates help state earn Rs 19 crore

Goods made by 595 prsioners generate huge profit for prisons dept.

Around 10 days ago, at a Diwali mela organised by the state prisons department (SPD) at the Mantralaya, a paithani saree was sold for Rs 10,000 within five minutes of it being put up for sale. The saree was woven by the inmates of Yerwada Central Jail. In no time, the department received advance orders for 17 such sarees.

The paithani saree was just one among the range of consumer products manufactured by the inmates of jails across the state in 2015. The SPD generated an earning of Rs 19.45 crore between January and December last year through the sale of such products. Paithani sarees, made of silk and hand-woven, are named after Paithan town in Aurangabad. In this year’s Diwali mela, the SPD sold goods worth Rs 7 lakh.

The data on the sales is a part of the annual prison statistics released by the National Crime Records Bureau, which reveals that the SPD, also known as the Department of Correctional Services, trained 595 inmates in different vocations including carpentry, tailoring and woodwork. Following the training, the products made by the inmates were sold at melas held inside the prison. The data further reveals that out of the total of 29,567 inmates, each produced goods worth Rs 6,559.

The authorities, who train their inmates to teach them skills so that they find employment after being released, routinely hold flea markets or fairs inside jail premises.

Speaking to The Asian Age, deputy inspector general (prisons), Swati Sathe said, “The paithani saree made by Yerwada jail inmates was one of the highlights of the Diwali mela. City-based businessman Hiten Mehta bought it for Rs 10,000. Within the next hour, we received orders for 17 more paithanis and even received advance payments.”

“Hand-woven sarees are becoming a speciality for prison inmates. Earlier, too, we made and sold hand-woven sarees, which are a tradition of Nagpur. Unlike those sold in the open markets, we use original products and not synthetic materials,” Ms Sathe added.

According to the NCRB data, in 2015, the SPD trained 595 inmates in vocations like carpentry (30 inmates), tailoring (40 inmates), handloom (134 inmates) and others like woodwork, baking, furniture-making etc.