What is it like to be disconnected from society for five, seven or 14 years of your life? How does it feel to then be thrown back into the world, without having the proper tools and right skills, to fend for yourself? Well, one cannot comprehend the insurmountable challenges an ex-convict has to overcome to find their path to reintegration into society after spending a majority of their life behind bars, ill-equipped to face the world of unemployment, poverty, discrimination and the radical gloomy predicament that reality holds.
The rehabilitation situation of ex-convicts in India exposes the unpleasant underbelly of the Indian prison system. It is a vicious cycle, waiting desperately to suck the life out of its victims – both literally and metaphorically.
Course correction and betterment of the rehabilitation system are the need of the hour. Steps to rehabilitate and reintegrate former convicts are nuanced and include reducing the stigma around their hiring, improving their employability (which also includes the often-neglected aspect of providing soft skills) and the assistance provided by prison authorities to help them until they are capable of self-sustenance. These are important for successful rehabilitation, and facilitate a reduction in recidivism, if not completely prevent it.
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Current after-care and rehabilitation situation in India
The quintessential aim of the prison administration is to reform and rehabilitate offenders, but the concept of reintegration is still lost in the Indian prison system. A wide gap exists between the aftercare and rehabilitation provided to prisoners and what reality requires. The objective of aftercare services as enshrined in the model prison manual is to extend help, guidance, counselling, support and protection to all released prisoners, whenever necessary; to help a released person overcome their mental, social and economic difficulties; help in the removal of any social stigma owing to their incarceration; help the individual in making satisfactory readjustment with their family, neighbourhood, workgroup, community and so on.
Indisputably, the objectives seem comprehensive and to the point. Even the role of NGOs, welfare officers and the process to achieve these objectives have been clearly outlined. But the ground reality is vastly different. The Prison Statistics India 2020 report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) does not even mention the statistics on beneficiaries of aftercare services. Only if implemented properly, the aftercare policy can prove to be transformational.
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The stigma enigma
For most of us, it is difficult to even imagine hiring an ex-convict in our homes and business establishments. Stigmatisation forms the basis of ostracisation, furthering their plight. Educating and training society are equally important to facilitate the social assimilation of the ex-convict.
The three main reasons for high unemployment rates of the formerly incarcerated include lack of pertinent skills, education, relevant experience, absence of opportunities and employer discrimination.
The vocational training programme in the Indian prison system has improved tremendously. As per Prison Statistics India, a total of 42,976 prisoners were provided with various vocational training in 2020. The maximum number of prison inmates was trained in tailoring followed by agriculture, carpentry and weaving. Additionally, a total of 82,186 prisoners had been educated in the country during 2020. Out of the total prisoners educated, 33,006 prisoners were provided elementary education, 32,897 prisoners adult education, 11,347 prisoners higher education and 4,936 prisoners were educated in the field of computers.
Nonetheless, one can always question the relevance and economic viability of these vocational skills and educational courses currently being taught in prisons.
While much emphasis has been placed on the importance of vocational training in the Model Prison Manual for the Superintendence and Management of Prisons in India, and many states have also adopted various promising practices, what has been missed out on is the dissemination of soft skills. Work readiness is not just about core work skills but also about the knowledge of personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively.
A person convicted of sexual harassment at the workplace might fall into the same pattern when released if not given proper behavioural training. Similarly, a person who has been in prison before embarking on his professional career journey would not know how to conduct himself around female colleagues at the workplace. Situations like these bring a different set of problems to the table, making assimilation difficult.
Bringing in a change in the inherent behaviour of a person is rather difficult than teaching a skill. Hence, behavioural training should be a part of the curriculum for inmates as soon as they are admitted into the institution.
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Way forward
A disproportionate number of ex-convicts have physical and mental health issues, along with substance abuse problems that greatly complicate their chances of employment. The journey from release to reintegration is a treacherous one, filled with daunting obstacles. One generic policy cannot tackle this convoluted problem but a four-pronged approach can help address it.
Relevant vocational training, behavioural training and education from the outset: the curriculum should be planned strategically to help inmates develop a hobby and train them on more practical facets such as personal finance management, technology to help them adapt to ever-evolving tech demands in the job market and general awareness and language to help them communicate better.
Then there is the matter of eliminating stigma by preparing the society. Educating employers and conducting regular workshops in organisations to eradicate the taboo surrounding ex-convicts and working with the formerly incarcerated can engender fear amongst other employees of the organisation. To handle this there should be supervised team bonding exercises facilitating conversations between regular employees and employed ex-convicts to help them understand each other’s perspectives better are valuable actions.
Customised aftercare services can help too. Every inmate grapples with a different set of issues when released. Relaying the right help at the right time through counselling, support and protection can give a right kick-start to their journey.
Finally, it’s also important to engage the right stakeholders. Prison authorities are the sine qua non for proper implementation of training services inside the prison and aftercare services outside of it. But all these efforts would be wasted if the end goal of proper reintegration and employment is not achieved. Hence, for the employment part of it, involving organisations/corporations that could serve as potential employers for the inmates and helping them develop a CSR activity around this concept can prove to be instrumental.
Additionally, the government is planning to come out with an updated model prison manual and we can only hope that it will address the deeper issues than just scratch the surface.
Praharshi Saxena is a law student, Government Law College, Mumbai. Views are personal.
(Edited by Zoya Bhatti)