Khammam, October 26: Most jails essentially mean tough time for criminals. Although the idea of a jail is to punish criminals and also reform them so that they can lead a normal life once they are out of it. But here is one jail which has been making most of its inmates literate. Bhadrachalam Sub-Jail, since its inception in early 2008, has taken up the onus of making the inmates literate.
Today, at least 80 per cent of the prisoners, most of them illiterate tribals from interior forest areas, are now able to sign their names.
Paida Muthaiah is one such undertrial.
He was brought to the Bhadrachalam sub-jail a few months ago for killing his brother with an arrow.
Muthiah hailing from an interior forest village near Mothugudem, was an illiterate when he came here.
Today even before his trial is over, he can sign for himself and says he has slowly started reading papers, as he can now identify letters.
“I am really excited to learn. Even the jail authorities have been nice to me, and have encouraged me as I had interest in learning. I’ll be able to read words before I am out of the jail”, says Muthiah.
“It is not just the case of Muthiah.
Many of the inmates today can sign in all the registers that they need to sign in. It is our target to ensure that there are no more thumb impressions in the register,’’ says the jail superintendent.
The school in the jail, which is operated by the jail staff starts from 11 a.m to 1 p.m . The morning session is followed by another session from 3 p.m to 4.30 p.m.
“As of now the inmates are mostly taught Telugu language so that they can achieve their immediate goal of making them sign. Later they will be taught to read and write,’’ said a jail staffer.
“We are even spreading awareness on AIDS among prisoners so that they are able to pass on the information to their family and neighbours back in their villages.
Besides this education, as is apparent, has initiated a healthy discussion among prisoners. I believe that there will be changes in their life also after their term here,’’ said sub jail Superintendent V Shashikanth.
—Agencies