The concept of self help groups is now integral to most fields of activity and has formed into a movement. So how can the correctional homes remain untouched? Absence of the facility of canteens in the correctional homes was being felt by us for a long time. We decided to introduce canteens in the central and district correctional homes where the prisoners could have tea, coffee, soft drinks, snacks and other fast food items on payment. The canteens, it was felt, will provide them a change of taste occasionally apart from meeting the requirement of extra nourishment. We decided that these canteens would be run by the self help groups comprising inmates. The profit earned from the canteens will allow the inmates to support their families from within the four walls of the correctional home. After all, the pittance that they get as prisoners’ wages for their labour can hardly support their families. We have thus killed two birds with one stone.
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You can therefore, contact the Prisons Directorate in case you would like to help the prisoners and their children regarding various welfare activities particularly in pursuit of their education.
Self Help Groups
We formed the first such self-help group at Alipore Central Correctional Home on July 13, 2009 to run the first such canteen for prisoners in the State. Aptly named “Natun Jeeban”, the first self-help group may indeed have ushered in a new era in the history of jails in India. The Department of Self Employment & Self Help Groups, extended all help in the formation and launching of this self-help group. The members chipped in with whatever they could, as capital. But this was hardly enough. The United Bank of India came forward to extend a loan of Rs. 30,000/- to convicts comprising the Self Help Group, breaking an age-old barrier against sanctioning of loans to convicts. The brand new canteen especially constructed by the State Government will be a modern eating facility for the inmates. This facility will be run professionally by the inmates themselves to provide services for the fellow inmates from morning to evening.
The second such canteen in the State to be run by a self group of prison inmates – “Disha” was inaugurated at Dum Dum Central Correctional Home on July 24, 2009.
Four such self help groups at Presidency Correctional Home and one at Midnapore Central Correctional Home have already been formed and are likely to start the work of vermi-compost production and umbrella making projects.
ICDS Centres in Correctional Homes
There are two ICDS Centres – one at Presidency Correctional Home, Kolkata and the other at Alipore Women’s Correctional Home, Kolkata run by the Deptt of Women & Child Development and Social Welfare. On our proposal Government of India and Deptt of Women & Child Development and Social Welfare, Government of West Bengal have sanctioned vide order no. 3306-SW/3S-91/07 Dtd. 7.9.07 nine more ‘Anganwari Centres’ under ICDS project in four Central (Dum Dum, Midnapore, Jalpaiguri, Berhampore), three District (Krishnanagar, Balurghat, Coochbehar) one Women’s (Purulia) and one Special (Siliguri) Correctional Home of the State for the children and expectant mothers lodged in correctional homes for their education, vaccination and special nutrition programmes.