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Rehabilitation programme: 14 inmates join salon and laundry units in Yerawada
After being trained in providing salon and laundry services for the past year, around 14 inmates of Yerawada Central Jail have now started working in a salon and
After being trained in providing salon and laundry services for the past year, around 14 inmates of Yerawada Central Jail have now started working in a salon and a washing-ironing unit constructed near the jail premises. According to jail authorities, this is an initiative to help the inmates get jobs easily after serving their sentence and integrate with the society.
On Saturday, the salon and the ironing unit were inaugurated by Yogesh Desai, deputy inspector of general (DIG), Pune. “We started the unit to provide affordable services to citizens and rehabilitate the inmates,” said Desai.
The idea was implemented by Sunil Ramanand, additional director general of police (prison), a year ago, when an ironing unit was started inside the jail on a trial basis. Around eight to 10 inmates were trained in providing salon services and 10 of them were trained for the ironing department. The authorities picked inmates who had a record of good behaviour. UT Pawar, superintendent of police of the jail, said the ironing unit in the jail received good response. “Currently, around 5,000 clothes come for laundry daily, including clothes of defence staff, prison department staff and citizens. Sometimes it takes a week to return the order as the clothes have to go through security checks. With the salon and ironing shop outside the jail premises, security checks will be reduced, benefitting citizens,” said Pawar. He said four inmates will be working in the salon and 10 of them in the ironing department. “The inmates will be given a certificate on their release so they can get jobs,” he said.
More such salons are set to come up at others jails in Maharashtra, said Desai. “Such scenarios help inmates interact with the public and their integration with society starts,” he said, adding they will also start a shop to sell vegetables grown by inmates inside the jail.
