Tamil Nadu leads the country in revenue generated from prison products; over ₹67 cr. collected 

Tamil Nadu ranked first in the country in revenue from sales of prison products. The state reported the highest gross sales revenue value of ₹67.08 crore, thanks to the trained workforce of inmates.

According to official sources, the ongoing program to train prisoners in vocational trades has resulted in the production of items of significant market value. While Tamil Nadu led the country in lucrative prison business, other States closely following it were Telangana and Kerala with ₹ 55.71 crore and ₹ 24.44 crore in 2023, respectively.

According to National Crime Records Bureau data, the value of goods produced per inmate was highest in Telangana at ₹95,187, followed by Tamil Nadu at ₹33,984 and Chandigarh at ₹32,325. Working inmates are paid a nominal wage based on their skills. Tamil Nadu pays ₹300 per day for skilled workers and ₹270 for semi-skilled workers.

Rehabilitation

As part of the state government’s reform and rehabilitation programs, the prison industry was equipped with the infrastructure to produce textiles, leather, aluminium, wax and paper products. The facility has been established in eight Central Prisons, one Special Women’s Prison and one Borstal School.

Cotton dhotis and shirts made by Central Jail inmates are on display at the ‘Prison Market’ in Tiruchi. | Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO

Although most prison products are purchased by government departments, the Department of Prisons and Prison Services has established ‘Prison Markets’ in all Central Prison complexes to sell its in-house products to the public at nominal prices.

Products such as ready-made clothing, leather shoes, raincoats, bakery products and soap are sold under the ‘Freedom’ brand; 20 percent of the profit is transferred to the account of the prisoner who made the product.

Efficient PATTAM

The Personality Attitude Transformation Therapeutic Assistance Management (PATTAM) programme, initiated to reduce recidivism and facilitate the reintegration of minor first-time offenders (aged 18-24) into society as productive and responsible citizens, has yielded the desired results. Of the total 9,370 youth offenders who participated in the program in prisons from August 2018 to December 2023, only 18 were rearrested. The recidivism rate was only 0.2%.

NCRB also stated that schools in all Central Jail, Special Prison for Women, district jail and Borstal School in Pudukkottai are staffed with qualified teachers.

Inmates are allowed to pursue degrees/diplomas offered by the Tamil Nadu Open University and take exams at government expense. In 2023, 8,844 prisoners attended various courses in prisons. A total of ₹2.08 crore was spent on improving libraries in all prisons.

video conferencing

Tamil Nadu also ranks first in video conferencing in prisons. Of the 1,332 prisons in the country, 1,156 are equipped with this facility. The state has 126 prisons equipped with video conferencing, followed by Madhya Pradesh (123), Rajasthan (92), Odisha (84) and Andhra Pradesh (80).