goods produced by Prison inmates
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 27, 2016
The data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) indicates that close to 2.6 lakh prison inmates were trained in various trades between 2010 and 2014. The value of goods produced by inmates across the country crossed Rs 150 crore for the first time in 2014.
Reformation of the inmates is one the primary objectives of imprisonment. Towards this end, training of prisoners in various vocational skills has received a lot of importance in almost all the States/UTs. These training programmes provide opportunities for the prison inmates to engage themselves in fruitful pursuits during the term of their sentence in jails. Training for prison inmates helps the prisoners learn skills which would enable them to follow a vocation after their release from the jail. As per the latest NCRB data on prisons, the value of goods (gross sales) produced by inmates across the country crossed Rs 150 crore rupees for the first time in 2014.
The NCRB releases an annual report ‘Prison Statistics India’. The report contains various statistics related to prisons in India. The data for the report is collected from Prison Headquarters of all States and UTs.
Close to 2.6 lakh inmates trained between 2010 and 2014
As per the NCRB figures, a total of 259773 inmates were trained in various trades between 2010 and 2014. The inmates were trained in seven major trades and other minor trades.  Of the major trades, most inmates were trained in weaving followed by tailoring, carpentry and agriculture respectively. In these five years, most inmates were trained in 2013 (63977).
Except in 2010, more than 70% of the inmates trained in agriculture were from Madhya Pradesh and Punjab. The number of inmates trained in other major trades was evenly distributed. In 2014, the most number of inmates were trained in Punjab (11344) followed by Rajasthan (8251) and Madhya Pradesh (7563). These three states accounted for close to 40% of all those trained in 2014.
Value of good produced crossed Rs 150 crore in 2014
The value of goods produced by inmates crossed Rs 150 crore for the first time in 2014. The value of goods produced increased by more than 85% in the five year period from 2010 to 2014.
Of the various states and UTs, the value of goods produced by inmates in Tamil Nadu was highest (36.97 crore) in 2014.  In the five year period from 2010 to 2014, the value of goods produced by inmates in Delhi was about Rs 94 crore, the highest from any State/UT.
Value of goods produced per inmate in Kerala is more than 8 times the national average
The value of goods produced per inmate increased from Rs 2171 in 2010 to Rs 3628 in 2014, an increase of more than 67%. The value of goods produced per inmate in 2014 was more than Rs 10000 in only Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh and Delhi. The value of goods produced per inmate in 2014 was more than the national average in 8 States/UTs. Except in 2010 and 2011, the value of goods produced per inmate was highest in Kerala. In 2014, the value of goods produced per inmate in Kerala was Rs 30285, more than 8 times the national average.
Featured Image: Prison Inmates