Chandigarh, August 18:
As part of the Punjab government’s mission to transform the lives of jail inmates and enable them to join the social mainstream as reformed convicts, the department of jails is planning to construct classrooms with a capacity of 50 students in each jail to provide a learning environment for prisoners .
Stating this here today, Jails minister Harjot Singh Bains said that the state government considering that education will be tied to good conduct/remission to provide benefit to those who undergo education in jails”.
Initially, 2 to 3 class rooms of capacity of 50 students in each jail will be constructed and if more rooms are needed in the future, suitable space will be identified for them. The facility of libraries are also being expanded in prisons. The idea is to inculcate a habit of learning and education and to provide them an opportunity to utilize their time in prison in a productive manner,said the minister.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led state government, said Mr. Bains, committed for making Punjab crime-free, under these extensive efforts many schemes including creating an educational atmosphere in prisons, have been initiated in prisons.
S. Bains informed that currently, the jail inmates have been categorized as ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ on the basis of their educational qualification. Total 271 prisoners of category-A are quite illiterate, who are being taught to read and write under SCERT program of Punjab Government, while category-B inmates, eligible and interested to appear in 10th/12th class Board examination, are enrolled with National Institute of Open School and currently 75 inmates have been enrolled in this category. Similarly, category-C comprises of 49 those inmates, who have done their 12th class are motivated to undergo Graduation courses in various disciplines offered by Jagat Guru Nanak State Open University, Patiala. The inmates are also given the opportunity to enroll in other reputed universities such as IGNOU Delhi for graduating in disciplines of their choice.
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