Offtrack: Lucknow: Wind Beneath Their Wings

The Convicts earn their living outside the prison walls. They queue up to leave for work each morning but have to return by evening.

The Convicts earn their living outside the prison walls. They queue up to leave for work each morning but have to return by evening.

Spread over 36 acres on the outskirts of Lucknow, the lush grounds of the Adarsh Karagar seem like a haven for weary souls. And indeed it is a humane world for its 237 inmates. The Karagar is a unique prison like no other, quite a contrast from the hostile, dank stereotype of Indian prisons. This model prison is an unusual experiment that aims to reform the prisoners by allowing them the freedom to pursue a livelihood in an environment as close to the outside world as possible.

The convicts in this jail are permitted to move about freely but they also earn their living and contribute to their maintenance cost. Some have laundries, others run barber shops. Some jail inmates have even formed a professional band which charges Rs 800 an hour and is in great demand to play at various functions.

Unlike in most prisons, a place in Adarsh Karagar is a coveted one and only "star prisoners" get in. The selection procedure for the award of "star" status is tough: the prisoners have to be aged above 21 years and under 40, have exemplary records, be physically fit for hard labour and, most importantly, have strong family ties. Once a prisoner is selected he is brought to the Karagar and housed in the Swagat Bhavan where he is kept under 24-hour surveillance and given intensive training in yoga and vocational skills.

If the prisoner's conduct is judged to be satisfactory, he graduates to the Jamuna Bhavan where he lives within limited restrictions for six months. If considered outstanding, he is shifted to the Ganga Bhavan which offers almost complete liberty. Such a prisoner is known as an "adarshi" (ideal inmate) and is absorbed into the wages scheme of the jail which entitles him to earn his livelihood

Kali Prasad Pandey, 39, is a typical beneficiary of the innovative system. His good record earned him a place in the Karagar in 1984. Pandey has since acted in plays and composed a collection of verses, due to be published soon by the Lucknow Hindi Seva Sansthan. His achievements have even earned him an award from Uttar Pradesh Governor Suraj Bhan.

What is more, the jail has generated social acceptance for the prisoners. Around 10 convicts own their own establishments, which include a paan shop, a laundry and a tea shop. Says Dildar Khan, a prisoner who runs a tailor shop and earns Rs 1,500 a month: "My work pays me dividends in that I have been able to live with dignity. Whenever I go to my village, Lalpur in Hardoi district, on annual leave people treat me with respect."

The Karagar also has an open village called the "Prisoners' Farm Colony" with 50 acres of land for co-operative farming. Around 24 convicts live and work in this colony, some with their families. However, thrice a day they are required to present themselves at the jail office to sign the attendance register.

Says Additional IG (prisons) S.S. Pundir: "This system has worked well in bringing about an enormous change in the thought process of the prisoners." Says Dilawar, who was convicted on murder charges: "I am able to meet people openly, earn my livelihood and even live with my family while serving my term. I have forgotten how to be angry." The colony was established to reform the convicts by providing financial and emotional security. "Ever since the colony was established in 1966, it has produced grains worth Rs 5 lakh every year," says its proud mukhiya, Birendra Singh.

Senior Superintendent S.C. Srivastava feels that the officials "play the role of friend, philosopher and guide." This, of course, is not an easy task. Considering that most of the 65 jails in the state, including the five Central jails, are dens of vice and ruled by Mafia dons, reforming the inmates of the Karagar is a task that needs patience and skill. But the officials seem to possess these qualities in abundance. And their efforts have paid off -- for the prisoners clearly know that the jail is their passport to a new life.