Koraput: Established in 1908, the Koraput Jail has now emerged as a Skill Development Centre for the inmates, thanks to Arun Ray, DG Prisons and Director General Correctional Service(DCS), who made this possible.
Instead of being termed as a punishment house, the jail seems more like a skill development centre with all kinds of skills being imparted to the inmates. Shri Ray has always brought innovation in Prison System, admits an insider.
The Prison authorities here focus on making the prisoners self-reliant and help them to channelize their time and energy towards positive contribution to the society. The aim is to make the convicts skilled enough so that they can lead a decent and disciplined life with self-respect after walking out of the prison.
The total capacity of the jail is 1003 inmates. Aftermath DG Shri Ray took charge, there has been significant works in touching different aspects of the Prison by upgrading its Sanitational infrastructure, hygienic condition, industry set up, cultivation of new skills and crafts, development in the field of agriculture by yielding vegetables, cultural activities with spiritual upliftment among inmates of the Prison, health aspects of the inmates etc.
DG of Prisons and DCS, Odisha, Shri Ray has green signaled the proposal to set one Fly Ash Brick Industry and another is to establish one Petrol Pump with the help of IOCL here in order to engage the inmates for their immediate rehabilitation after release.
For this purpose a MoU has been signed with the District Skill Development Mission and Assistant Director Textile under NUA Odisha District Skill initiatives (Nutana Unnata Abhilasha) in order to create a scope for self employment of the inmates upon release from custody, officials said.
To change the negative mindset of the inmates to positive and to make them self reliant, the Circle jail is organizing different programs inside the Jail. The prisoners are being engaged in many skillful activities including their involvement in fabrication unit, weaving unit, gardening, tailoring, pulverize unit etc, while unskilled prisoners are being trained in different area based skill development vocational trainings by numerous NGOs like Jana Sikshya Sansthan (JSS) as well as Government Institutions like RSETI (Rural Self employment training institutes),ORMAS( Odisha Rural development and Marketing Society).
A total of 128 numbers of convicts have been engaged in different works. The inmates are being trained by the old and experienced inmates, who have already been taken training from the Skilled Instructors arranged from time to time by the Jail authorities, they said.
Apart from this numbers of sensitization sessions are being organized by Jail authorities to inspire and aware the inmates to be engaged. Motto is to draw them out of a nuisance mind and to make them a good human being.
Similarly, the inmates are also trying to grow organic vegetables that are sold to people at the Jail’s retail counter.
Incentives are being paid to prisoners engaged in different manufacturing units inside the Circle Jail. The Skilled inmates are being paid at the rate of Rs 145 per day, Semi skilled inmates are being paid at the rate of Rs 115 and unskilled inmates are being paid at the rate of Rs 95 per day. The said amounts due to the prisoners are being deposited in their respective Bank pass book accounts through NEFT.
The Collector Koraput has also been moved to take steps for imparting training under PM Biswakarma Yojana which will be a better platform for their rehabilitation after release.
DG of Prisons Shri Ray has encouraged the inmates by providing Commendation Certificates to those who are doing meritorious works inside the Prison.
Similarly, he has granted 60 days special remission to 62 numbers of Convicts of Circle Jail, Koraput for their significant works ,which not only inspire others to engage themselves in good works, but this will be helpful for their early and premature release.