Freed jailbirds turn orderly working women

Hyderabad: For Lavanya, who is in her early forties, life has come to a full circle. The former convict who was like any other normal woman before she fatally attacked her husband, apparently in a fit of emotion, underwent the worst in her life.

Now after coming out of the gaol in 2014, serving seven years of imprisonment, she is back to normal working in the ‘all-women petrol bunk’ at Chanchalguda and earning a decent living, all thanks to the revolutionary reforms introduced by the prison authorities.

“I was treated like an untouchable, people spoke behind my back and passed nasty comments when I passed by... all because I was a former convict,” shared Lavanya. After her release, Lavanya had to face many challenges in life to make her both ends meet and she did all that for her two children.

“After my release, relatives, friends and even my family members treated me differently but, I had to suffer all that for my children. When I was serving my jail term, my sons also suffered along with me,” she shares with grief in her voice. Lavanya is not the only former woman convict who has experienced the indifferent behaviour of society.

Another former convict Godhavari, who was also convicted for murdering her husband, shares that though she was able to obtain a job as a house help, she was not paid accordingly and with the menial amount it was difficult for her to look after her children.

According to Director-General of Prisons and Correctional Services V K Singh, it is difficult for former convicts to find work, especially for women, who had been jailed for killing their husband or family members.

“I do not want to go into circumstances of why they committed the crime and all but, I felt that at least they and their children should lead a good life,” he said.

“After being released from the jail, these women have nothing to fall back on because their families also disown them and without any income there is every chance that they might fall prey to prostitution or commit petty crimes to make ends meet,” he said.

Singh, keeping all these factors in mind, started an all-women petrol bunk on Chanchalguda Jail premises to help these women make a life outside the prison on their own. The all-women petrol bunk, which was inaugurated in June, breathed fresh air into the lives of 25 former women convicts.

The women are paid Rs 12,000 per month and are engaged in work on shifts that are suitable to them. The petrol bunk is managed by retired jail personnel and the idea behind employing them was to ensure that if any problem arises they can manage it efficiently.

Lavanya said, “I am now able to lead a life with my head held high. My sons are attending a nice school without worrying about their fees and other necessities. I am proud to say that I am independently taking care of my sons. The people who talked behind my back and passed nasty comments have now become silent.”

“I feel proud and happy to see these women working hard here and should appreciate the initiative by Director-General of Prisons and Correctional Services V K Singh,” said Special Prison for Women Superintendent Tanniru Venkatalaxmi Srinadha.

Godhavari, who previously earned menial amount of Rs 700 to Rs 1,000 per month said, “My life has taken a positive turn where I am able to educate my sons and now lead a happy life without worrying about where I will get food for the next day. This carefree life is what the Prison Department gifted me.”

The bunk, apart from employing long-served criminals, also employs prisoners released on remand basis, who serve jail term for only a few days or months. One such former convict Jaishree Bai said, “I have three daughters and I look after them without any fear of failure because I am independent now.”

The petrol bunk also has a stall that sells stationery and other products that are made by prison inmates and managing the stall is a 70-year-old former convict Indhurani who is enthusiastic like a teenager. Indhurani said, “I am 70-year-old but, if I stay at home my mind does not function. Because of the department, I am able to earn money and live independently and it feels like family here because my co-workers were my co-inmates,” she shares with a laugh.

The Telangana Prisons Department is setting standards across the country with its new and creative reformation and rehabilitation initiatives, and these reforms are changing the lives of former prisoners.

By: L Pavani Kodati