Inmates

Of the over 4 lakh prisoners in Indian jails, nearly 2.9 lakh pre-trial detainees and undertrials have been languishing for years as they await justice. But their voices are now being heard, thanks to these people.

In 2013, Divej Mehta came up with the idea of working with inmates inside state prisons. He didn't perceive them as mere convicts but as a potential workforce.

The Telangana State Prisons Department has gained recognition for its inclusive programmes and facilities to help rehabilitate and reform inmates.

Yellappa, now 35, had dropped out of school in Grade 7, but his time in prison gave him the chance to reflect and reevaluate the decisions he had made. It was at the time that he decided to get back to studying.

A student from Muttil village’s WMO English Academy in Wayanad, Didhul will teach the grown men how to make furniture from banana fibre and be accompanied by his father.

Inmates at a prison in Kerala will be trained to run their own salon, which will be functional from April-May.

The attempt by Pavlov Mental Hospital at Kolkata to employ mental inmates to take a step towards their citizenship is incredible and creates hope.