VARHAD : Legal Aid to Prisoners
and their families
VARHAD works towards providing legal aid, speedy trials and guidance
to the most deserving under trial prisoners. This goes a long way
in preventing the psychological break down of the prisoners, in
custody.
72% of the prison population all over India are waiting for trial
in the court of law. This as per Indian Law, renders them innocent
until proven guilty! As per the rules of the CJS, under trial prisoners
can be released on bail or on a Personal Bond. But the poor are
not able to avail this facility.
VARHAD works towards strengthening the State legal aid services
so that needy get competent advocates for their cases, wherein the
state picks up the expenses. VARHAD's
social workers pay visits to the families of prisoners and their
neighbourhood. Based on this very interaction, VARHAD appeals for
the release of these prisoners. This support prompts the courts
to release the ‘deserving prisoners’ without surety and without
the presence of an advocate. It is an achievement for us to be instrumental
in the release of about 100+ prisoners every year. VARHAD is the
first NGO to have the honour of enabling release of prisoners without
surety.
http://www.varhad.org/legelAid.php
VARHAD : Integration
with family
The emotional bonding between parents and children is very important
for the psychological well being of all parties concerned. It
holds true even for the families of prisoners.
VARHAD arranges for mass meetings of prisoners with their children,
every month.
http://www.varhad.org/integration.php
VARHAD : Vocational
Training Programmes within prison
As politically incorrect as it may sound, women have always been
the vulnerable section of society, especially in marginalized
pockets. Already possessor of the secondary status in Asian countries,
the stigma of being imprisoned lowers a woman’s status even further.
VARHAD recognizes the despair of women prisoners who have nobody
to fall back on, once within prison walls. With their vocational
training centres for women inside the prison, the organization
helps female prisoners of all ages, get ready for the competitive
world outside, by imparting vocational training to them. Beauty
parlour and sewing classes are being run within the central prison,
by professional teachers from the VARHAD team. There are also
computers, handicrafts classes being offered.
http://www.varhad.org/vocational.php
VARHAD : Rehabilitation
of prisoners
VARHAD bends itself backward to create job opportunities
for the released prisoner. The organization has started a “Rehab
Centre” for released prisoners. The objective of this centre is
to provide ‘aftercare services’ to prisoners, once they’ve completed
their sentence. This center plays an important role in the reintegration
of the released prisoners into society, by offering them vocational
training to create a decent livelihood. VARHAD’s runs this Rehab
Centre at a 3000 square feet property (owned by VARHAD). This
centre has a lodging and boarding facility for two families (of
prisoners who do not have their own accommodation, or means of
livelihood. The Rehab centre has a cow farm with eighteen cows,
at the moment. These cows produce about 1000 litres of milk every
month and provide employment to about 4 released prisoners and
their families, at a given point of time. These families get free
lodging, boarding, limited milk supply (for consumption) and a
stipend of Rs 3000 every month!!
http://www.varhad.org/rehabilitation.php
VARHAD : Education
[Children of Prisoners (COP) and Adult]
VARHAD works against the accepted society indifference
which endorses that the family of criminals must suffer too.”
The organization thinks of various possible approaches to reduce
the negative psychological impact of children watching their parents
in prison>
BALWADIS : VARHAD initiated the liberation of COP by opening Balwadis
for them. These Balwadis function as full-fledged schools and
efforts are being made to impart all round education to the children.
EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT to Children of Prisoners, living outside prison
: To prevent the negative impact of parents’ imprisonment on children,
VARHAD has initiated an education program for COP. The program
focuses on education of children of prisoners staying outside
prison. Children are supported while they are staying with a single
parent or relatives. In some sad cases, when there is nobody to
take responsibility of the child VARHAD arranges residential educational
facilities for the children.
Adult Literacy Programs(Education of adult prisoners) : VARHAD
also conducts Adult Literacy Programs for both male and female
adult prisoners i.e. the prisoners are given formal education
in the prison itself. Three years ago, VARHAD lobbied with the
education department to start 4th standard board examinations,
inside prison premises.
Art of Living : Prisons
Art of Living publishes Parivartan, a quarterly newsletter dedicated
to bring you latest activities of the Art of Living (AOL) Foundation
in prisons across India. Prison inmates often feel “down in the
dumps” with emotions of guilt, despair, frustration, anger, mistrust
and depression running high within them. To free them from such
negative emotions and bring back in them that long lost smile,
twinkle in their eyes, and zing in their stride, and to fill up
their hearts with love, has been AOL’s earnest mission.
It is indeed heart-warming to note that over 120,000 inmates across
India’s Jails have already benefited from AOL courses. They have
demonstrated a transformation of their stay in prisons! A dreary
outlook towards life has been replaced by a productive usage of
their time. They are now involved in writing books, making innovative
products for sales, and inspiring fellow inmates to take to the
positive path. Some of them have become AOL teachers themselves.
Kudos to the tireless efforts of AOL prison teachers and volunteers
who have brought this much needed-transformation in this oft-ignored
area of society.
Art of Living : Udaipur Jail
Imagine a place where you start your day with a morning
ritual of Sudarshan Kriya and Padma Sadhana with 100 others. Later
in the day you get to showcase your talents through various activity
clubs, listen to Guruji’s knowledge sessions on a Home Theatre
, go for a nature walk into a serene Rock Garden. Well, this sounds
like an ideal stay in the Bangalore Ashram, but it isn’t …!
Central Jail, Udaipur in Rajasthan (house to 1000 inmates) is
fast becoming a model AOL village, thanks to concerted efforts
of some very dedicated teachers and the support of the Jail staff
members. It is a place where AOL courses have been institutionalized
with regular introductory and advanced courses, knowledge sessions
and Satsangs. The positive impact of this has been that the Jail
has become a bedrock for implementation of new inmate welfare
schemes. Around 18-20 activity clubs have been formed, a beautiful
rock Garden now adorns the Jail premises and dental check-ups
are a regular feature. As many as 18 Yuvacharyas (from the Youth
Leadership Training Pragams) are determined to keep this positive
spirit alive.
http://www.artofliving.org/sites/all/themes/aolglobal/downloads/Parivartan_Newsletter_1.pdf
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