RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: George Washington Carver, an American agricultural scientist and inventor, had said, “Education is the key that unlocks the golden door to freedom.” In line with the saying and with a belief that jail can help people transform their lives, apart from being mere penitentiaries, authorities of Rajamahendravaram Central Jail have set an example in reforming the inmates through education.
They said the adminstration’s initiative to help inmates secure basic educational qualifications and help them find employment after serving their term, has been yielding good results.
Jail superintendent S Raja Rao said the programme has been underway for a long time. A systematic and scientifically designed routine has been formulated for the inmates with an aim to provide education to those interested in pursuing higher studies.
“Education can open many windows and instil confidence in them. We have designed their mornings and evenings in a way that they can study, while attending their skills class,” Rao explained.
87 prisoners studying post-graduate courses
Stating that there are 738 convicts, 550 serving life term, and 994 remand prisoners in the jail, the officer said, “As of now, 135 jail inmates are pursuing undergraduate courses, 87 are studying postgraduate courses and 28 are learning basics.”
One of the prominent jails in the country, the Britishers had converted a fort, built by the Dutch in 1602, into a prison in 1864. It was later elevated to a Central Jail in 1870. Rao said examinations were being conducted in the jail premises itself and faculty from local government colleges would conduct classes.
Elaborating on the list of achievers, the superintendent said one inmate, Sheikh Azadduien, had secured a gold medal in BA course.
Two other inmates, T Venkateswara Rao and Subhani, bagged gold medals in degree courses. G Vijayaram, a gold medalist in PG, secured a job as a volunteer in a village secretariat after he was released from jail, he added. Srinivas Dora, serving life term, completed post-graduation in three courses - sociology, political science and public administration.
He has been in jail for the past eleven years. The Central Jail is also home to 4,430 books. The library houses a number of spiritual and personality development books, Rao said and opined that when an inmate from Rajamahendravaram jail leaves, he/she is more enlightened and has a larger vision of the world.