BANGALORE: The Department of Prisons has initiated certain novel methods in jails across the state to make their life interesting.
There are 102 jails in the state, including 16 district jails. The department has distributed indoor items like carrom board, chess and snake and ladder, and football, volleyball and basket ball for out door games.
Despite the absence of basketball courts in jails, they play for two-three hours daily. Most of the jails have vast open space to play football and volleyball.
Inspector General of Police (Prisons) K V Gagandeep told Express, “There are number of talented persons in jails. The selected persons will undergo two to three months of rigorous practice and the department will hold inter-jail competitions in June. The basic idea of this is engage them in one or the other sports activities of their choice. Sports will definitely change their mindset, behaviour and will help them to develop sportsmanship. At present, there are no coaches to train them. But the department will think once the inter-jail competition begins. If they shine in any sports, they will be sent to state and national level tournaments too”, he said.
Apart from outdoor games, competitions in indoor games too will be conducted. The women convicts are given sports items like the ring, carrom board and handball, he said.
Gagandeep said while volleyball plan is planned in Mysore and Bangalore will be the likely venue for football match. The competitions in different disciplines are planned different parts of the state.
“Just because they are convicts it is not correct to neglect them in society”, Gagandeep added.
“Vegetables grown on the sprawling 114 acres Open Jail at Devanahalli are brought and sold to citizens daily. The money earned from it goes to personal account of those who worked in the garden,” he noted.