Hyderabad: The Telangana State Prisons on Saturday organised a new initiative for released prisoners to gain employment. The ‘job mela’ was aimed at reducing recidivism by ensuring that the prisoners have an opportunity to financially stabilise themselves.
Big names like HDFC and Flipkart were among the 12 companies that participated. Lanka Ramana, human resources manager, G4S Securities, said, “We have selected 11 candidates as guards and one receptionist. The main criteria was that the person should be a high school graduate and physically fit. We will be giving the selected candidates training for nine days. The criminal history of most of those selected was either related to dowry cases or property disputes. We will not be considering any ex-convict involved in serious crime for the job.”
The HR recruiter for HDFC and Axis Bank, SivaKrishna, of Sun Icon Systems, said, “We have selected four candidates with a degree in any background for positions of public relations and loan sections. The selected had no history of theft as the job is to work in the banks.”
Attending the job mela were 230 enthusiastic ex-convicts from 31 districts of the state, out of which 155 secured employment.
“This year’s turnout was higher than the one conducted in Mahabu-bnagar in 2017 when 171 jobs were provided in Ford workshops, among others. The companies are willing to consider such ex-convicts for employment when they are introduced by the prison authorities. Had these men tried for jobs directly, they would have been frowned upon. This initiative falls under the Mahaparivarthan scheme formed by the director general of prisons V.K. Singh, who is constantly finding new avenues unexplored for the reformation and rehabilitation of inmates,” accordingt to a prison official.
Srikar G.T (name changed), a resident of Nizamabad, was told by the jail authorities about the job mela two days ago.
He was released on August 22. He was convicted in an assault case in the forest area by Rachakonda police.
He has now landed a job as an electrician, for which he had experience prior to his jail term.
“Officials made it easy for us by seeing that we are given jobs in our area since it will not be possible for us to travel back and forth from Nizamabad every day,” said Srikar.
Ex-prisoners seldom get memployment of choice
Aditya (name changed), an undertrial in a rape case, is out on bail and is looking for a job. His ex-employer has refused to take him back. Aditya drives an autorickshaw, but is on the lookout for a stable, well-paying job
Aditya, 25, a graduate, had married a minor Renuka (name changed) after a love affair. Her parents filed a rape case against him as they were against the marriage.
Aditya was arrested and spent 45 days in jail before securing bail. He now needs a stable job to support his family; his wife Renuka as delivered their first child on Thursday.
Aditya was among those who came to the job mela held by the prisons department. “The jobs on offer are not exactly in line with my experience and the salaries are much lower than what I would need. I am struggling to bear the new responsibilities of my home despite working odd hours as an auto driver. It is very demotivating to know that because I was jailed I am no longer able to secure a good paying job,” said Aditya.
Prisons deputy inspector general V. Saidaiah said, “In cases where a prisoner is unable to provide for his family while out on bail, we can provide employment once it is brought to our notice.”
