And, IT is the latest mantra

Entrepreneurship is the USP at the Kozhikode District Jail

November 04, 2017 11:24 pm | Updated 11:24 pm IST - KOZHIKODE

 Two prisoners repair a faulty computer in the presence of Assistant Jail Superintendent M.K.M. Ismail at the Kozhikode District Jail.

Two prisoners repair a faulty computer in the presence of Assistant Jail Superintendent M.K.M. Ismail at the Kozhikode District Jail.

A correctional home with openings aplenty to fine-tune one’s vocational skill is now the unique selling proposition (USP) of the Kozhikode District Jail, where the prisoners go home with the confidence of trained entrepreneurs who can venture into any self-employment venture that would fetch them a standard income. In pace with the times, the jail authorities here are wooing the inmates with IT-related trades such as computer hardware and software maintenance that can help them to secure a placement quickly.

“We are proud of training 80 persons in various trades, of which 20 are now experts in hardware and software maintenance. The trained men in the first batch, who have already assembled three new computers for the jail and repaired other damaged machines, now attend most of the emergency repair works at our office,” says jail superintendent K. Anilkumar. He says that the computer at his office is one of the three such newly assembled machines with excellent output.

Like computer technicians, one can spot here skilled electricians, plumbers, paper bag designers and craftsmen who make cement vases.

All the LED bulbs now in use at the jail have been made by prisoners.

The jail authorities say they owe a lot to the faculty of the Government Engineering College, West Hill, who handled the IT training programme and gave the trained prisoners certificates to attend any future continuing education programme in the trade.

“We began the diversified vocational training programmes in 2015 with a clear objective of equipping them better for sustainable living, irrespective of their age. Once they go out, they will never be diffident as their skills will certainly win them a job,” says Mr. Anilkumar. Another important fact is that their collective labour during the jail term here in various fields contributes a big sum to the State exchequer every year, he adds.

In 2016, the net profit from the sale of jail chapattis was ₹20 lakh. This was in addition to the revenue generated through the sale of jail-brand umbrellas, vegetables, paper bags, cement pots, etc. During peak season, the daily revenue through the sale of such items across the the jail counter comes to around ₹20,000. The net profit alone is expected to touch ₹30 lakh by the end of 2017.

“We offer our vocational training to school dropouts and those accused in what we call sober crimes. It is quite a tough task to reorient them to the new vocation, but they are all cooperating with our initiatives,” attests M.K.M. Ismail, assistant jail superintendent.

There are also instances of persons with diverse skills training others in various vocational trades, he points out.

Most of the newly trained are optimistic about landing jobs once they complete their jail term. A 30-year-old prisoner from Perambra, who completed a computer maintenance course from the jail, says he would join one of the local shops specialising in hardware maintenance for a living once he is released. “Here, we now work as a team to address the hardware and software issues and it is a good learning experience for all of us, says the youth.

The voice of a 52-year-old from Nilambur too echoes the spirit of his young counterpart while sharing his dream. “I am a school dropout, but it will not be a hindrance to finding a new job as I have been trained in computer maintenance,” he says. Jail authorities are planning to introduce more creative vocational courses with State government funding.

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