Prison-made products raked in Rs 100 cr in 2012

Prisoners in India appear to be giving the corporate sector a run for their money, having managed to sell their products for Rs 128.24 crore in a single year—a new feather in their cap.

This is the first time that the jails’ “turnover” has crossed Rs 100 crore, which is a massive 82 per cent jump from Rs 70 crore in 2009. In 2011, jails had sold products worth Rs 91.49 crore, while the figure in 2010 was Rs 80.10 crore.

Last year, according to “Prisons Statistics India”, released by the National Crimes Record Bureau (NCRB), the Jail Factory of Delhi’s Tihar Prison earned the top position by selling products worth Rs 28.85 crore, pushing 2011 topper Uttar Pradesh to the third position with Rs 14.56 crore. Bihar came second with Rs 17.08 crore in sales. Prison inmates are trained in weaving, tailoring, carpentry, agriculture and making soap and phenyl. In Delhi, the incarcerated also produce biscuits and other eatables. An analysis of four years of income for jails from inmates’ products shows that Maharashtra has seen a steady growth, while this year’s topper Delhi has had a bumpy ride.

Karnataka has also seen a steady growth, despite not coming anywhere near the toppers. Last year, jails in Karnataka sold products worth Rs 1.97 crore, up from Rs 1.16 crore in 2011, Rs 94.7 lakh in 2010 and Rs 70.6 lakh in 2009.

“The gainful work done by jail inmates not only provides a corrective approach to the psyche of offenders but also  develops a respectful attitude in them.” The training programmes provided opportunities for inmates to engage in fruitful pursuits during the term of their sentence.