Vizagites to taste cookies straight from prison

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Sep 6, 2013: After successfully running the iron and steel furniture factory, the inmates of the Central Prison in Adavivaram are set to diversify and foray into a new sector of manufacturing bakery products. If everything goes as per the plan,  of the prison authorities, Vizagites will soon taste cookies, frozen bread, rolls, cakes and pies, straight from the prison, made by convicts.

The unique proposal was first mooted by the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) and the central prison authorities had already submitted the project report. Immediately after the sanctionof the budget some convicts will be selected for training.

Already the iron and steel furniture manufactured by the prisoners with the brand name
“Sudhar” is a hit in the market and most of the government offices use the furniture.
The prison is making a turnover of Rs 40 lakhs per annum on the furniture.

“We have already submitted the proposals and detailed project report to the DLSA, which had mooted the idea. A corporate sponsorship to set up the required
infrastructure for the bakery has already been through and the funds will be released
shortly. We are now identifying prisoners to be trained in baking. We are
sure they will bake tasty cookies and other baked products to satisfy the taste
buds of Vizagites. We are also planning the supply mechanism to other bakeries, canteens across the city,” Central Prison superintendent, Dr Indla Sreenivasa Rao told this correspondent.

The bakery idea was first initiated to meet the prison requirements of bread and other
essentials, but it was later taken shape as a semi commercial venture, through which
convicts can earn some money and also put them to quality, constructive work, the jail
superintendent added.

There are around 900 prisoners at Vizag central jail and of them half are convicted,
remaining undergoing various remand who has short stays. The convicted inmates numbering an approximate 430 are engaged in various works including gardening and vegetable farming in semi open jail.

Around 53 are engaged in manufacturing steel and iron furniture. Money earned would be deposited in prison development fund to be used to rehabilitate jailed inmates.
Around 100 prisoners are also engaged in cashew nut peeling activity which fetches them a decent daily wage.

The central prison also has a printing press where material required for the prison
office and other some government offices is printed. Books and some petty stationary
items are also made by the prisoners.