Art and craft initiatives such as carpet weaving and give prisoners a break from routines and encourage new skills

could not have asked for a better opportunity.”

Rao, a freelance recording artist, who has worked with Akashwani Bhawan, FM stations and recorded music, had the idea of working with prison inmates of Delhi and set up the Lakshay Foundation in 2011. “We started the first radio station in jail that year itself,” Rao says, adding the response was not what he expected at all. “You see, in prison, there is not much entertainment. The few inmates who had the chance to provide it were treated like gods. They were in charge of playing music through the PA system, taking requests, and performing on special occasions, so there was a lot of interest in the programme,” he says, adding that he admitted only talented inmates.

“Not everyone inside the jail will be able to pick up things like music — careers where a criminal past might not necessarily be a deterrent. And even in my class, it is not possible that all inmates will be able to learn and use their talents outside,” says Rao, adding that he continues to help his students once they are released.

“The moment I was accepted to Rao’s class, I knew this was my place,” Singh says, beaming. “I used to just sing before but I learned to play the guitar and the keyboard at these classes.”

Singh is now looking to rebuild his life — this time with a career in music, “mostly for my family, my wife and daughter, and my mother”. As part of Rao’s group, he was among the first batch of prison inmates to score a show at the India Habitat Centre two years ago. “All I can say is that I got lucky finding the people I did when I did. I can only hope others on the inside have the same luck.”

With inputs from (U.P.), (Bihar), (Mumbai), (Tamil Nadu), (Telangana) and (New Delhi).

At Bikaner Central Jail, inmate Amar has formed a strong bond with three others. “We are sailing the same boat, and the journey becomes easier when you have friends. We drink tea together and exchange our thoughts during tea time,” he says. So, when he joined Jaipur Rugs’ Freedom Manchaha project to learn how to weave and handknot carpets, he created a piece with stripes to depict the ups and downs of his life, and four tea cups, to symbolise his friendship. ‘Hum Chaar’, his wool and silk rug, is available on the luxury carpet brand’s website for ₹1,32,300.

Since the project launched in 2018 — across prisons in Alwar, Jaipur, Bikaner, Dausa, Amer and Bharatpur — Jaipur Rugs’s director Yogesh Chaudhary says he’s seen a growing interest. “Many prisoners say it has brought them peace; that weaving is like meditation. It has also helped them regain some of the hope that they had lost.” Each rug takes between one and three months, and 75% of the sales goes to the prisoners’ families. “Reintegration into society is tough; some commit suicide once they leave jail,” Chaudhary says. “But this profession requires one to stay at home and work, thus making reintegration easier.”

Rajasthan leading the way?

Jaipur Rugs is not the only ones in the State helping motivate prisoners. Over the years, artists, fashion designers, master craftspeople, and even professors from the National Institute of Design have stepped up. This, along with initiatives such as open prisons (Rajasthan has the highest number, at 40), could be one of the reasons why former chief minister Ashok Gehlot stated back in 2021 that the State’s jail system is better than others in India.

“All nine central jails in the State have factories, where training and employment are being given to approximately 2,000 convicts at any given time,” says a spokesperson at the Rajasthan Prison Department. The detainees in Jodhpur and Udaipur, for instance, are proficient in making sheetmetal products; at the Jaipur Central Jail, inmates make pretty quilts, including the Jaipuri razai.

Talent hunt

While not all states provide creative work outlets for its prisoners, the few that do try to ensure broadbased training. In Kerala, at the Central Prison and Correctional Home in Thiruvananthapuram, a large 200metre mural on the perimeter wall is a testament to the skills of its inmates. The prison launched their Classical and Commercial Arts vocational training course three years ago, in association with the State Resource

Centre. “We extend training to 20 persons in a batch at a time,” says D. Sathyaraj, superintendent of the prison. “Rather than run the course over a few months, it is more intense and wraps up in 70 hours — keeping in mind the floating nature of the prison population.”

The focus is on mural and canvas paintings, nettipattam (caparisons on elephants), and wooden decorative items. While Sathyaraj feels that the production is yet to hit mass commercial volumes, the response has been good for the products sold through Free Fashionista, their onsite store. “A share of the sales is set aside for the prisoners,” he says. “Inmates who are interested can sign up. We also identify those that have the talent.”

In Telangana, at Chanchalguda Jail, authorities have started teaching kalamkari to its women inmates. “We launched the programme last month, after noticing the demand for the textile,” says superintendent Shiva Kumar. Carpentry is also taught at Chanchalguda and Cherpally. “The products, including dhurries, woollen garments and yoga mats, are also sold at the 38 prisonrun petrol stations across the State and through our ‘My Nation’ stalls at fairs.”

Reformation models

Creativity in prisons isn’t always channelled into workshops, though. At Tihar Jail, after organising art and craft classes, Project Second Chance is now concentrating on creating reformation and rehabilitation models to help prisoners. “There aren’t enough innovative models in India. And who better to create them than the ones who have lived through these problems,” says Mohit Raj, the founder of the initiative. These include BetterLife Prison School; Kunji, a helpline for exinmates; and using games like Jenga and Ludo to help teach legalese and conflict resolution in mental health.

But that’s not to say the creative initiatives are in the past. “Soon, in Jail No. 6, we will be starting pottery classes,” he says. Raj recalls one of their bigger creative projects, a painting workshop led by artist Veer Munshi in 2017. Prisoners made 300 paintings, with which they organised an exhibitionandsale at Lalit Kala Akademi. Perhaps pottery will be their next outing at the Akademi.

— With inputs from and

Prisoners with a carpet they made; the mural at Thiruvananthapuram’s Central Prison; and an inmate weaving.