HARIPUR: Provincial Inspector General of Prisons Usman Mehsud inaugurated the “woodworking correctional industry” at the central prison here on Wednesday.

Additional Inspector General of Prisons (HQs) Hamidur Rehman also accompanied the IG on the occasion.

Jail superintendent Umair Khan briefed the IG about the woodworking centre and said the facility was registered with Tevta and it would offer a carpentry course to prisoners to enable them to get better livelihood opportunities after release.

He said during jail term, skilled carpenters would be engaged to earn a better living by making furniture and other wooden products for public and private sector organisations.

The superintendent said arrangements had been made to take orders for the woodworking centre as a display centre for products made there would be established outside the jail.

About other livelihood resource development skills for inmates, the superintendent said pottery workshop, shoe-making centre, carpet weaving unit and an organic fish farm functioned on the premises to help inmates learn skills and return to the society as “productive” citizens.

He hoped that all skill development centres within the jail would start production soon providing prisoners with employment and chances of reformation in the real sense.

The IG (prisons) lauded the efforts of jail authorities and Tevta and promised to help them develop the centres into full-fledged training centres saying the provincial government was committed to providing every possible opportunity to jail inmates to get themselves reformed and return to their families as earning hands.

He visited sections of the centre and barracks.

Deputy Inspector General (Prisons) for Hazara Zone Naeem Khan was also present on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2023