RJ inmates: Jail in Pune starts radio station entirely managed by prisoners

The Yerwada Central Prison in Pune on Tuesday started an innovative programme for rehabilition and reformation of its inmates by launching an internal radio station which will be entirely run by inmates. [caption id=“attachment_1799815” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Courtesy: Flickr[/caption] The programmes aired on ‘Radio YCP’ will be aired on the public address system, according to this Indian Express report. The radio station was inaugurated by Rani Mukherjee. The inmates will be the radio jockeys for the programmes. “On some days, there will be interviews of personalities invited to our studio. There will be songs on demand and a programme where we will try to solve problems faced by inmates with help of counsellors. The questions will be read out without naming the inmate. The jockeys have been selected after auditions,” YCP jail superintendent Yogesh Desai told The Indian Express. However, the Yerwada Prison is not the first jail to start an internal radio station managed entirely by inmates. The country’s largest prison, Tihar Jail, launched its very own FM radio station called ‘TJ FM Radio’ at Central Jail Number 4 in the Tihar complex on 30 July 2013, according to PTI. Apart from FM Radio, Tihar Jail administration, in association with an NGO “Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Sansthan”, had also started a Khadi unit or ‘Charkha Khand’ (spinning wheel unit) in the Central Jail. Tihar also offers a lot of other programmes for the welfare of its inmates. The jail even has a campus recruitment drive to provide jobs to inmates after they complete their jail term, according to this DNA report. “In 2012, Tihar Jail set a record when 142 inmates were selected by various companies with three of them being offered a package of Rs 3.60 lakh per annum each,” said the report. The jail even has a website where it displays the vast range of products manufactured by the inmates under the ‘Tihar’ brand. The prison further offers “vocational training, educational programs through IGNOU & NIOS, computer courses, learning of traits at Jail Factory, Tihar Baking School, Yoga/Meditation/Spiritual courses, libraries, management of drug users (Opoid Substitution Treatment), Drug De-addiction Centre & HIV prevention & awareness programs,” said the website. (With input from PTI)