On the occasion of Teachers' Day, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University (YCMOU) and Maharashtra Prison Department to facilitate the implementation of educational programmes in a bid to educate prisoners and take them on the right path. Under this initiative, the prisoners could graduate inside the jail with proper classes on Saturdays and Sundays. So far, 55 prisoners of Yerwada Central Jail have applied for graduate courses.
Prashant Burde, Additional Director General of Police and Inspector General of Prisons and Correctional Services, Maharashtra State, expressed, "Jail is not only for punishment but also to rehabilitate the prisoners. Education is the main key to changing their mindset. The education is free of cost for the prisoners. After getting bail, it will be easier for them to get a job and do their own business. Due to any reason, if any prisoner is deprived of education and wants to study, they can easily apply for their favourite courses."
"The prison department is always trying to ensure that the prisoners who are incarcerated in the prison can lead a normal life in society by implementing various activities on behalf of the prisoners in order to bring them back to the mainstream of society without turning to the criminal sector again after leaving the prison," he added.
Sanjeev Sonawane, Vice-Chancellor, YCMOU, Nashik, expressed, "A prisoner in prison is a part of society, but after committing a crime unknowingly, he is kept in prison to serve his sentence. YCMOU has facilities for higher education for the convicts in the prison to complete their partial education after coming to the prison."
Through YCMOU, a total of 2,199 male convicts and 2,856 female convicts in Maharashtra have received diplomas and degrees. Convicts who have completed their education through an open university degree while in prison are given amnesty for up to 90 days. So far, a total of 214 prisoners have been given the benefit of 10 days waiver and out of these graduate prisoners, a total of 16 prisoners have been given another 90 days waiver after completing their higher education.
At present, there are study centres of the university in a total of 10 prisons, namely Yerwada, Kolhapur, Nagpur, Amravati, Mumbai, Taloja, Thane, Aurangabad, Nashik Central Jail, and Kalyan District Jail. The academic courses mainly include BA, BCom, MA, and MCom. These are undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
