Bhondsi Jail gears up for CJI visit with inspection of new inmate training institute

The institute will train about 100 inmates per batch in trades from computing to welding as part of a broader rehabilitation effort.

Ahead of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant’s visit on December 6, inspector general (prisons) B. Satish Balan and a team of judicial officers on Monday inspected the newly constructed Industrial Training Institute at Bhondsi Jail, reviewing infrastructure, training capacity and overall preparedness for the inauguration. Officials said the CJI will open the ITI as part of an effort to expand technical education and skill development avenues for inmates to support rehabilitation and post-release employability.

Officials examined vocational units including labs, workshops and radio studio while directing staff to finish preparations. (HT)

During the inspection, the IG directed prison staff to complete all arrangements to required standards before the visit. Jail superintendent Vivek Chaudhary briefed the team on preparations and shared the planned sequence of the CJI’s tour, saying he will first visit the Skill Development Centre and Nirman Sadan before addressing officials and inmates at RTC Bhondsi.

The ITI will offer one-year programmes in trades such as computer operator and programming assistant, welder, electrician, plumbing and woodwork technician, with space to train about 100 inmates per batch, officials said.

The judicial delegation also reviewed various training and vocational units inside the prison, including the workshop area, jail radio studio, computer lab, electronics lab, physics lab, music room, salon and the skill development centre. They assessed training materials, instructor availability, resource adequacy and inmate participation across these facilities.

Additional district judge Amit Grover said the ITI and other skill-based platforms would help bring constructive change to inmates’ lives, adding that structured technical training will improve their employability and ease their reintegration into society.

Officials added that the ITI aligns with the judiciary’s broader vision of turning prisons into spaces of reform and opportunity. With the CJI set to formally inaugurate the institute, the administration hopes the initiative will mark a significant step forward in strengthening rehabilitation programmes across Haryana’s prisons.