A one-month statewide anti-drug awareness campaign titled “Youth Against Drugs” will also be launched and inaugurated...
Punjab & Haryana High Court Launches Prison Reforms With Vocational Training in 24 Jails, 11 New ITIs
In a major initiative aimed at transforming the lives of prisoners, the High Court of Punjab and Haryana, in collaboration with the Department of Prisons and the Department of Technical Education & Industrial Training, Punjab, is launching a comprehensive correctional reform programme titled “Empowering Lives Behind Bars: Real Change – The New Paradigm of Correctional Justice.” The programme will be launched at Central Jail, Patiala.
According to an official release, the initiative will be inaugurated by the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant, in the presence of Judges of the Supreme Court, Judges of the High Court, and senior state officials.
The programme aims to transform Punjab’s prisons into centres of learning and rehabilitation. Under this initiative, nationally certified vocational training will be provided to 2,500 inmates across all 24 jails, with support from the Punjab Skill Development Mission.
Additionally, 11 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) will be set up inside jails to offer NCVT-certified long-term courses in trades such as welding, electrician work, plumbing, sewing technology, cosmetology, COPA, and bakery.
Apart from this, NSQF-aligned short-term courses will be offered in tailoring, jute and bag making, bakery, plumbing, mushroom cultivation, computer hardware, and other practical skills. The training will follow national standards and will be conducted by certified faculty in modern workshops. Inmates will also receive a monthly stipend of rupees 1,000 along with NCVET/NSQF certification.
A strong reintegration framework will ensure post-release continuity through Government ITIs, placement support via District Bureaus of Employment & Enterprises (DBEE), access to MSME schemes, counselling, and the issuance of Good Conduct Certificates. Hands-on learning will be further strengthened through jail factories operating in carpentry, tailoring, welding, bakery, and fabrication, the press release said.
Complementary reforms in Punjab’s jails include operational petrol pumps in nine prisons, sports and yoga programmes, the Prison Inmate Calling System (PICS), Radio Ujala, and platforms for creative expression.
Month-long Anti-Drug Awareness Campaign
A one-month statewide anti-drug awareness campaign titled “Youth Against Drugs” will also be launched and inaugurated by the Chief Justice of India. The campaign aims to mobilise communities and institutions to combat drug abuse through awareness, legal education, and rehabilitation outreach.
The initiatives, the release said, reflect the High Court’s commitment to rehabilitative justice, dignity, and safer communities, enabling inmates to move from custody to capability while fostering a drug-free society.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government’s initiative “Yudh Nashian Virudh” continued for the 279th consecutive day, with police conducting raids, making arrests, and persuading addicts to undergo de-addiction treatment.
