Other States - Orissa   

Killing time ‘constructively’ at prison

BHUBANESWAR: Killing time "constructively" in jails is not everybody’s cup of tea. Only some great leaders utilised their stay in prisons in best possible manner by producing valuable books.

But a few inmates of Jharpada Special Jail and Biju Patnaik Open Air Ashram jail here have made a pious beginning what could be termed a pleasant twist to jail reforms as well as literacy mission in Orissa.

State Resource Centre (SRC), the nodal agency of literacy campaign in the State, has received as many as 55 write-ups from jail inmates; some of them have recently become literate.

The "new literate manuscripts" were based on subjects such as national integrity, small family norm, gender equality, protection of environment and small poems.

"We had convinced jail inmates not to get depressed but find other alternatives to utilise their stay in a better manner. Literacy programme has come in handy for them. Education and vocational training programmes, which were launched a year ago, appeared to be bearing fruits now," Sanjeev Pradhan, a senior programme coordinator with SRC, said. All the write-ups would be compiled into a magazine while three best write-ups would be awarded in a State-level programme later, he said.

About 90 inmates of the two jails had gone through literacy programmes, Mr. Pradhan said on the sidelines of ‘’writers workshop for development of new literate materials for jail inmates’ here on Wednesday.

Interestingly jail inmates who had good educational background were identified to lead the mission as teachers. This could be the one of its kind efforts in jail, the SRC coordinator said.

"I had been spending uncertain times in jails. When the programme was introduced to me, I sat down to write on an environment protection issue. Now I have got a new meaning to my prison life," Rakesh Mohanty, who was lodged in Jharpada on charges of kidnapping, said. Besides, a bi-monthly magazine by inmates of Jharpada Jail would be brought out in the month of May, SRC Director Kishore Mohanty said.

The magazine, ’Naba Sakharnka Kalamaru’ will be in published in hand-written letters, Mr. Mohanty said.

"We are considering launching similar programmes districts such as Kalahandi, Nuapada, Malkangiri, Nabrangpur, Mayurbhanj district and Cuttack in the next fiscal," SRC Director said.

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