To engage the first time criminals lodged in Tihar Jail, the prison, in collaboration with the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) on Tuesday inaugurated training sessions for inmates of Jail No. 5, also known as Tihar’s ‘Adolescent Jail.’ To ensure that these young inmates, in the age group of 18 to 21 years, keep themselves occupied and do a couple of vocational courses like bee-keeping, detergent, soap and incense making, Tihar Jail DG Sudhir Yadav and VK Saxena, Chairman, KVIC, inaugurated these training blocks.
Talking to The Pioneer, Yadav said, “The idea behind setting up a training block at the adolescent jail is to encourage the young inmates to imbibe skills which can be used to make khadi products. Although we hold interactive workshops, this initiative is unique as it will further assist them to weave products which will further enhance their future outside the prison walls.”
A senior jail official said that the factory units located inside Jail No. 5 have been converted into training blocks. This is one of the several measures which have been adopted by the Tihar Jail authorities for the reformation and rehabilitation of the young inmates.
Saxena said that KVIC has observed a lot of potential and abundant energy among the inmates. “We are confident that after training, these inmates will not only get suitable employment but could also providing employment to several other inmates,” he said. Saxena said that KVIC intends to adopt Jail No. 5 for continuous training and rehabilitation work.
Elaborating on the various programmes related to education, training, resettlement and rehabilitation, Sudhir Yadav said, “Prison these days are not viewed as a place of and for punishment, but are considered as correctional homes where persons on the other side of the law are encouraged to reform and are rehabilitated through various programmes.”
Tihar Central Jail No. 5 is a prison for the young offenders. These young inmates cast an extra responsibility on the jail administration. The jail has to act as a guardian to guide them and channelise the energy of the young generation by stimulating them with innovative ideas and providing them with training in accordance with skills and knowledge of an individual inmate.