Karnataka Prisons Launches Inmate-Run Bakery, Signs Legal Aid Pact with NLSIU
Karnataka Prisons and Correctional Services launched the Nava Sankalpa Bakery and Bakery on Wheels at Parappana Agrahara, and signed an MoU with NLSIU on legal aid and prison reforms.
The Karnataka Prisons and Correctional Services Department has launched two bakery initiatives at the Central Prison in Parappana Agrahara, Bengaluru, in collaboration with the HCL Foundation. The 'Nava Sankalpa Bakery' and 'Nava Sankalpa Bakery on Wheels' were inaugurated by Director General of Police Alok Kumar on Thursday.
The programme is designed to serve two purposes: generating additional revenue for the government through the sale of bakery products, and equipping inmates with vocational skills to help them rebuild their lives after release. Inmates who complete training in bakery equipment and product preparation will receive certificates, which the department said would support their rehabilitation and livelihood prospects.
During the inauguration, Mr. Kumar inspected products prepared by the inmates and praised their taste and quality. He interacted with the prisoners and emphasised the importance of maintaining quality and hygiene during preparation. The mobile bakery units were subsequently flagged off; they will sell bakery products at court complexes and bus stations across Bengaluru.
Separately, the department signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, on Friday at the Prisons Headquarters. The agreement is intended to strengthen legal aid, prisoner welfare and prison reforms in the State.
Under the MoU, NLSIU's Criminal Justice Clinic — through its lawyers, students and researchers — will identify elderly prisoners and inmates with serious ailments and help facilitate their release. The clinic will also hold legal aid camps in prisons and offer pro bono representation to marginalised accused persons in custody.
A key element of the partnership is assistance in drafting a policy for the premature release of elderly and terminally ill prisoners, in line with the Supreme Court's judgment in NALSA vs Union of India. NLSIU will further help the department with research and drafting of laws and policies related to prisons in Karnataka, and support capacity-building for para-social workers, convict lawyers and lawyers working in prisons. The university will also train and supervise prison staff and students involved in these activities, and collaborate on other reform initiatives.