Indian Express: Pune: Friday, April
08, 2016.
Of the 282
women prisoners at the the Yerwada Central Jail, there are 13 graduates and
nine post-graduates, including qualified professionals like MD, MBA, MCA and
even LLB, according to the reply to a query filed by The Indian Express under
the the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
Between 2011
and 2015, 24 women prisoners have completed their graduation degree in the
prison, the reply states. It also reveals that of the 282 women prisoners, as
many as 122 had been working and earning before they were jailed for crimes
they committed.
Pallavi
Kadam, superintendent of prison, said, “There are some who show interest in
studying further and enrolling for educational courses while there are a few
others who need to be encouraged to study. The classes are conducted everyday
for an hour. Besides, they are provided study material to study in free time.”
Talking about
the difference between the educated and not or less educated women prisoners,
Kadam says the grasping power of the qualified ones is comparatively strong.
“The women prisoners are assigned several tasks in jail and are engaged in
activities that help them pick up various skills. As compared to uneducated
prisoners, the qualified ones need less explaining and understand the details
quickly. We have also noticed that the illiterate ones get inspired to study
when they are in the company of the educated prisoners.
For instance, if a woman has to depend on
another woman for getting a letter written, she obviously feels the need to
educate herself so that she doesn’t have to depend on anyone,” explains Kadam.
The
highly-qualified women prisoners includes women who have qualifications like
MCA (Master of Computer Applications), MD (Doctor of Medicine), LLB (Bachelor
of Legislative Law) and MBA (Master of Business Administration).
The RTI reply
also reveals details of the crimes committed by the some of the highest
qualified women prisoners. The prisoner who is an MCA was found guilty and
sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering her brother in complicity with
three friends of her brother. She, however, has not accepted her crime.
An MD was found
guilty along with her mother and sentenced to life imprisonment for abducting a
male doctor. She too has not accepted her crime.
The MBA woman
is in magisterial custody after being accused along with her mother and father
in bounced cheque case.
The LLB woman
was found guilty along with her daughter and sentenced to life imprisonment for
abducting a doctor.
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