From bars to cakes to pastries: Himachal prison inmates make crores in profit

Baked by prison inmates, cakes, pastries, cookies, muffins, and other bakery items from Himachal Pradesh jails had made Rs 2.12 crore in 2023, according to the Prison Statistics India report of 2023, released by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

In 2022, sales of bakery items were Rs 1.69 crore.

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At the heart of these earnings is a bakery run by inmates inside the Civil Secretariat, the seat of the Himachal Pradesh government, which is popular not only among government employees but also with visitors.

Additionally, people line up outside the jails to buy cakes.

The bakery items made in Himachal jails were so popular that the earnings from bakery products were the fourth highest in the country in 2023, behind the Bakery School of Delhi jails, which earned Rs 10.43 crore, Gujarat jails, which earned Rs 3.57 crore, and Maharashtra jails, which earned Rs 2.74 crore.

The hill state managed to surpass large states like Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka despite having a small inmate population and limited production. There were 2,816 inmates in Himachal jails in 2023.

However, the success story extends far beyond bakery products. In 2023, all goods produced by inmates of Himachal Pradesh jails as part of their vocational activities were valued at Rs 8.88 crore, marking a surge of over 48 percent compared to the previous year.

This amount was nearly five times what Punjab jails (Rs 1.85 crore) had earned and almost four times what Haryana jails had earned (Rs 2.30 crore).

The canteen led all with earnings of Rs 3.01 crore, while carpentry goods earned Rs 1.62 crore in 2023. Dairy items from the jails were valued at Rs 71.49 lakh, while tailoring brought in Rs 37.95 lakh, and weaving earned Rs 33.63 lakh.

The jail department also operates a Mobile Van Vegetable stall, which generated sales of Rs 29.12 lakh.

According to the jail department, in addition to engaging inmates in vocational activities, gym equipment, volleyball, carrom boards, chess, and badminton rackets were provided to jails in 2023. They also supplied zig-zag machines, flour kneading machines, and bakery ovens based on their specific needs.

Additionally, various NGOs, including the Art of Living, Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan, and Patanjali Yogpeeth, encourage inmates to participate in yoga and spiritual activities. Cultural programs are organized to provide prisoners with an opportunity to showcase their talents.

Inmates are also provided with TV sets featuring DTH services, newspapers, and musical instruments like harmoniums, dholaks, and tablas.

Sports competitions are held in jails for recreation, and all prisons have library facilities.

In 2023, a total of 168 inmates received vocational training, while 11 inmates pursued higher education.

Sixteen NGOs worked on prison reforms, and two focused on prisoner welfare. Additionally, the NGOs provided medical counseling to 115 inmates and legal counseling to 185 inmates.