Express News Service
AHMEDABAD: Welcome to the Central Jail made by the Gujarat government near Surat. It is a far cry from the cramped, bug-infested jails of yore.
This swanky building has taken some significant steps to reform its inmates. There is abundant space for academic and vocational courses as well as revenue generation inside the prison .
Following an earning model developed by prison authorities, inmates can earn up to Rs 20,000 a month. There are ample work opportunities that allow them to earn money for their families even when they serve out their sentences.
In the Lajpor jail, men work on diamond grinders and looms, while women stitch laces in sarees, Deputy Jailor SP Narvane said that the diamond unit started functioning back in 2017. But is only now that is has become fully functional.
Every day, a diamond firm provides the special stone and the prisoners work on different parts of it, polishing and cutting.
After the prisoner is done for the day, finished diamonds are handed over to the prison authorities, who send it back to the firm it came from. The half-cut and unpolished diamonds are kept under lock and key in a safe room in the jail.
Jail Superintendent Manoj Ninama said that all salaries are deposited in the inmates’ bank accounts. After some training and practice, many prisoners have become expert diamond polishers. Inmate Manji Jadav works here as a manager and earns around Rs 20,000 per month.
Jail authorities have also made arrangements for educational activities. There is an online education programme, other than an audio-video library and a book library.
