Hyderabad: The Telangana State prison’s have drastically reduced the rates of recidivism, an issue that prisons across the country and the world are still grappling with. In the past two years, repeat offenders in the state stood at a staggering 400, but that plummeted this year to 44. This decrease in re-offending is a result of crime reduction techniques and programmes initiated by the state prison.
The state prison officials linked most of the repeat offenders to crimes like theft and property conflicts. In view of this majority, the department initiated the largest follow up conducted on ex-convicts in the country after their release from prison.
The prison also holds programmes within the prison like the Unnati programme, yoga and skill development programmes in addition to providing employment to release convicts. Unnati is a cognitive, behavioural and skill development programme wherein once a month counselling is conducted for the prisoners. A team from the Osmania University under the leadership of Prof. C Beena conducts unique training programmes for habitual offenders to reform offending behaviour prior to their release. Indirect programmes like yoga and literacy efforts are known to drastically reduce offending behaviour upon release.
Speaking on the issue, DIG Prisons B Saidaiah said, “The total number of prisoners have been reducing per year which reflects the reduction of recidivism. Throughout the state, 31 teams of officers are distributed to districts to engage in aftercare rehabilitation programmes. Via this programme, tabs are kept on selected habitual offenders who meet officers once a month. The meetings are to gauge if the prisoner is slipping into or showing signs of reoffending. When required, the officers identify the causes of such propensity to crime and try to aid the prisoner with support to ensure they do not relapse”. These programmes are one of a kind in the country and have drastically reduced the level of re-offending among prisoners in Telangana.
