A 'lucky' jail that lures convicts for big biz

BHOPAL: Prisoners from across the state are making a beeline, seeking transfer to a small jail in Hoshangabad district of Madhya Pradesh. Reason: Manoj Jha, a murder convict, became a successful businessman while serving his sentence at this sole open jail in the state. Prison authorities always have around 50 applications from convicts across the state, seeking transfers to this jail and go Jha's way.The jail has a capacity of 25 inmates who can live there with their families, incharge of the jail, Manoj Sahoo, told TOI. He added, "At present there are 18 convicts lodged in the prison along with their families."
Almost all of them go out of jail and do some work to earn their living, Sahoo said. "Their children study in government or private schools as per their wish, but only in the municipal limits. It is also ensured that jail is not mentioned as address in the school certificates of their children. It only shows Hoshangabad district as their address," he added. The concept of open jail allows the convicts to live with their families and move out of the jail premises to work. Mostly the convicts, who are left with one or two years of the sentence, are lodged here to help them spend the last leg of their imprisonment years with their families. It also helps them in rehabilitation after long years of imprisonment. Some convicts even earn decent amount of money while living in the jail. "Manoj Jha, a convict from Vidisha district, who was released on August 15 after serving life term imprisonment, used to drive a JCB machine. He ultimately managed to purchase a JCB machine," Sahoo said. Enthused with the results of the open jail, jail authorities are planning to open more such jails in the state.
"Another open jail is coming up in Satna district. More such jails will be opened," additional director general of prisons, MP, Sushovan Banerjee, told TOI. "There are certain eligibility criteria and also the willingness, based on which a convict is shifted to the open jail," Banerjee said.