Noida: A group of inmates have planned to launch a quarterly magazine from the Luksar jail premises from January. The 48-page magazine will be managed, edited, printed and circulated entirely from inside the campus by the inmates. They also shared the cover page of the magazine – Salakhon ki Siyahi – on Monday.
There are about 2,800 under-trial and convicted inmates in the jail, out of which 50 persons will work on this magazine. “Some of the inmates are literate and they know basic reporting and editing skills. The jail administration conducts various activities for them from time to time, which need to be documented and communicated. The inmates will report for the magazine and edit and make pages. Initially we will publish 100 copies and will increase circulation depending on the feedback and demand,” said jail superintendent Vipin Mishra.Officials too will write articles for the magazine. Primarily, the magazine will be for the inmates and for the jail library, as well as for official purposes.
Anand Kumar, director general of prisons, Uttar Pradesh, inspected the prison premises on Monday during a visit. He also inspected the community radio programme running from the jail. “The jail should be a correctional home and not a place for punishment. There is an effort to sensitise the inmates to leave a life of crime and lead a normal life once they are out. We are also imparting different skills to the inmates so that they become employable. In UP, inmates of various prisons made a total of 27 lakh masks for the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, which is appreciated,” he said in the jail’s radio programme.As of now, authorities at the Luksar prison have suspended meetings between inmates and their families due to the pandemic. The DG said that as the situation is returning to normalcy, the government may resume letting them meet each other from February-March, 2021.
Love Kumar, additional commissioner of police (law and order), Gautam Budh Nagar was also present and appreciated the inmates’ efforts. On Monday, some NGO workers too visited the jail and provided woollen clothes to the inmates.
