Greater impetus given to education and imparting of employable skills had yielded rich dividends with prisoners getting diploma and certificates.
While many of them completed the course, others have begun undertaking the course and more prisoners were showing interest.
Deputy Inspector-General of Prisons, Coimbatore Range, P. Govindarajan and Superintendent of Prisons, G. Shanmugasundaram said that Coimbatore Central Prison has close to 2,500 prisoners and convict prisoners were being provided with opportunities and avenues for undergoing courses to get skills imparted, besides getting degrees and diplomas.
The objective was to ensure that prisoners spend their sentence period usefully acquiring skills and knowledge so that on discharge they could be employable and turn entrepreneurs as well.
In a society where there is stigma against prisoners even after their release, there is a pertinent need to make these prisoners learn and acquire skills so that they could be independent on their discharge.
Above all, the wages earned during the sentence period would be useful for them to face life on discharge.
To keep tune with this motto, the Prison Administration tied up with Avanashilingam Jan Shikshan Sansthan for imparting training on vocational skill courses such as two-wheeler mechanic, radio and television set repair for six months.
These prisoners who successfully underwent this training were given diplomas on Monday.
On the occasion, 11 convict prisoners who passed the first year examinations in a degree programme by the Tamil Nadu Open University were also given certificates.
