The Kudumbashree district mission organised a programme, ‘Kazhchakkappuram’, at the Women Prison and Correctional Home, Attakulangara, here recently to introduce the Kudumbashree network to the jail inmates and aid their integration into society after release.
Kazhchakkappuram has been envisaged as part of a plan of the Kudumbashree district mission to identify vulnerable groups such as jail inmates, sex workers, and mental health centre residents and integrate them into society.
Open interaction
The programme at the Attakulangara jail, organised by the Kudumbashree’s organisation team, began with an open interaction with the 45-odd women inmates under the leadership of the jail welfare officer. This was intended to establish a link between the Kudumbashree network and the women inmates, a majority of whom go back into society after serving their sentence.
The organisation team heard the inmates and their life stories, their interests, and introduced the Kudumbashree network to the inmates, though some of them, who had been part of it in their lives outside jail, were familiar with it.
Productive member
During the interaction, the inmates sought that some skill training be provided to them so that they could earn an income and become a productive member of society on their release. The jail authorities also expressed the desire to associate with the Kudumbashree.
The jail already provides training to inmates in making various products but the Kudumbashree can provide better training through its agencies. The idea is to be innovative and go beyond what the jail is doing by understanding society’s current requirements, says Kudumbashree district mission coordinator B. Sreejith.
This could be skill training according to the taste and interests of the inmates or that for starting enterprises so that when they are released from jail, they are able to work and can be fully reintegrated into society.
Fresh start
The Kudumbashree also hopes that after the inmates’ release, they can be integrated into its neighbourhood groups to aid their transformation and give them a fresh start in life.
Besides skill training, the Kudumbashree wants to provide the inmates training in developing their personality and emotional intelligence, and think positive inside the jail. Counselling will be provided to them through the Kudumbashree’s Snehitha gender help desk.
“Despite their circumstances, a majority of the inmates wanted to contribute to society, and they wanted support for this. The jail authorities too asked for the Kudumbashree support,” says Mr. Sreejith.
He says a plan based on the feedback of the inmates will be prepared and a proposal submitted to the government. For instance, the jail has a food unit that makes cakes, sweets, snacks, and other food products, but this could be given a boost by making millets products. “The demand for millets is on the rise owing to its nutritional benefits. We can introduce the jail inmates to millets, its benefits, and how to make value-added millet products. Once trained in making millet products, the inmates can engage in it even after their release,” he says.
