Byculla prison gets creche for children of woman inmates

Authorities said the creche has been started with an aim to show the outside world to the children of undertrial women and provide them quality pre-school environment

Mumbai: Maharashtra Prisons on Friday inaugurated a creche outside the woman’s prisons in Byculla for the children of undertrial women lodged in the jail and of the staff working there.

Mumbai, India - January 06, 2023: Maharashtra's first-ever prison creche for the children of imprisoned persons and prison personnel inaugurated, at Byculla Jail, in Mumbai, India, on Friday, January 06, 2023. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO)

Authorities said the creche has been started with an aim to show the outside world to the children of undertrial women and provide them quality pre-school environment.

“This is a first of its kind initiative in the country. The creche outside the Byculla woman’s jail will be run with the help of a non-governmental organisation, Aangan, which works for protection and betterment of children,” said Amitabh Gupta, additional director general of police, prisons.

“The creche has been started not only to provide education to the children of undertrial women but to show them the outside world and therefore the creche is deliberately set up outside the prison walls,” added Gupta.

The jail authorities said the creche has been started also for the children of the staff working at woman prisons. Most of the staff members, they said, stay in nearby service quarters and work long hours. That’s why it was decided to let the children of the staff members take benefit of the creche.