Throughout the past few years, IBJ India has expanded the scope of its operations by working with local partners to improve conditions and resources within prisons. Since 2017, IBJ India has coordinated Project Rupaantar, a rehabilitation initiative for young adults and women detained in Tihar Jail No.5 and No. 6. In collaboration with the Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Gem and Jewelry Skill Council of India (GJSCI), and the Delhi Prisons, the project aims to transform the lives of detainees. It empowers them with vocational skills, including imitation jewelry design and glass gem design. Developing such applicable skills will allow inmates to find work following their time in prison and live healthier, more productive lives. After earning a certification, inmates can immediately begin to work and earn money while in jail. By saving these earnings, they can more easily secure housing, food, transportation, and other necessities following their release.

IBJ India chose to implement this program in Jail No. 5 and No.6 because young adults and women are the most economically dependent segments of the adult population. Since so many Indian inmates are illiterate and lack employable skills, they struggle to reintegrate themselves into society and often end up destitute or back behind bars. Indian prisons are required to offer educational services. However, after several jail visits and studying reports by the Department of Prisons, IBJ India observed that the education offered to prisoners is neither enriching nor practical. Though prisons know that their educational services are subpar, they prioritize other crucial issues such as maintenance and security. To begin a new, honest life, inmates need education that directly translates into employment and stability. Project Rupaantar empowers prisoners with a sustainable, practical foundation to begin a new life upon their release.

Recent Developments

On Tuesday, July 30th, 2019, IBJ India conducted an inspection at Tihar Jail No. 5 to assess the progress of the GJSCI artificial jewelry trainings. We are pleased to report that IBJ India has successfully trained approximately 596 inmates thus far. Additionally, there are approximately 50 inmates being currently trained in Tihar Jail No. 5. Aside from those currently receiving training, an additional 416 certificates will be awarded to course graduates from Jail No. 5 and No. 6 before the end of the year. IBJ India is currently planning a ceremony for the inmates in jail, while mailing out certificates for those who have been released. To ensure that compulsory prison duties don’t interfere with their access to education, IBJ India has ensured that morning and night classes are available in both jails.

The inmates being trained are extremely pleased with this unique opportunity to join India’s ancient, yet booming, jewelry industry. With the hard work of the GJSCI and its trainers, the students are thrilled for what their future may hold. IBJ India took the names of the inmates present at the training and is looking forward to connecting the inmates to employment opportunities after their time in jail. Looking forward, GJSCI has guaranteed advanced training and employment opportunities to approximately 800 inmates.

International Bridges to Justice’s India Country Program (IBJ India) strives to create a just society empowered to protect human rights. To this end, legal rights awareness campaigns are a central part of our work. Only those who understand their rights can protect their humanity. In India, much of the population remains unaware of their legal rights and how to access counsel. To educate those in need, IBJ India conducts monthly prison legal awareness events to promote a basic understanding of the rights of inmates, prison standards, and legal aid.

From June 2^nd to June 11^th, 2018, IBJ India visited eight prisons in the Tihar and Rohini Jail Complexes to work with inmates and facilitate a Legal Rights Awareness and Legal Aid Camp. The camp worked with over 1,500 jail inmates. These sessions aimed to educate inmates about their rights and duties within the prison. In particular, IBJ India volunteer lawyers and staff taught inmates how to access free legal counsel, how to file for bail, and the role of legal aid in a just society. Prisoners, administrators, and the IBJ India team worked together to develop an interactive and practical program. A diverse set of activities, trainings, and other educational services created a worthwhile experience for the inmates. Presented in a substantive, yet concise, manner, these lessons were crafted such that people of any educational background could understand them.

IBJ India returned to conduct awareness campaigns in 2019. Using the previous year’s efforts as a foundation, IBJ India tested creative new ways of providing legal awareness to those without literacy. Seeking to bridge the gap between informative workshops and engaging storytelling, IBJ staff put on a skit depicting potential pitfalls in the criminal justice system. This engaging, relatable content resonated with inmates and may allow them to better apply the knowledge they gain from awareness campaigns.

Ongoing Challenges

Awareness campaigns are crucial to reduce the stigma surrounding legal aid in India. While Indian lawyers are not supposed to accept compensation in legal aid cases, some nonetheless demand payment. This unfair practice engenders distrust toward providers of legal aid among those most in need of counsel. Inmates ought to have confidence in those representing them. Awareness campaigns and training sessions seek to dispel myths surrounding sarkari lawyers, who are assigned by the government to work on legal aid cases. Empowering inmates to report corrupt lawyers builds trust in legal aid and prevents instances of malpractice. IBJ India’s direct interaction with prisoners rebuilds lost trust and instills confidence that justice can be achieved. By fighting corruption in the legal profession, IBJ India is doing its part to advance both its own work and the work of advocates across the country.

IBJ India continues to innovate new ways to deliver on its mission to protect human rights, including through its Legal Rights Awareness and Legal Aid Camp. This sustainable model for awareness campaigns can be used at other jails across the country. Teaching prisoners to leverage their rights will allow them to improve their circumstances and receive humane treatment. IBJ India’s commitment to human rights through legal education and service truly makes a difference in the lives of those most in need.