‘Samosas, Vada Pavs…’: Pune Jail Inmates See Beacon Of Hope With Restaurant Initiative

The first chain of restaurants that will be available across prisons and run by prisoners in Maharashtra was launched by the state department's prisons and correctional services.

New Delhi: The long arm of law catches up with those who have chosen the path of crime, at least for many. Life in jail is mundane and dark and you have the same routine every day inside those dingy prison cells. Imagine if you have to spend the rest of your life in there with almost no chance of release. You would want to throw in the towel and not bother working on improving yourself for the crime you have committed and the people you have hurt. There is no shame in admitting that you would have given up on life and listened to your irrational thoughts as to why bother trying to make amends when you know the end result that it would not make much of a difference. But, you can always choose a different path – learn something new and redeem yourself.

At Yerawada Open Jail in Maharashtra’s Pune, the prisoners have a chance to start their lives fresh. They have been given a choice – to either continue to get lost in their absurd thoughts inside those gloomy cells or make a difference. Many chose the latter.

‘Shrunkhala’: Prison Inmates Run Restaurants

The first chain of restaurants that will be available across prisons in Maharashtra was launched by the state department’s prisons and correctional services, according to a report by The Indian Express. The initiative called ‘Shrunkhala’, which means chain or series, will see jail inmates running eateries that will cater to the citizens.

The first chain of restaurants, which was opened next to the Yerwada Open Jail in Pune, will be run by 15 inmates – all of them serving life sentences. Out of 15, seven of them will be working in the kitchen while the other eight will be on service duty. They were also given uniforms – a T-shirt and pants. The administration may increase the prison staff depending on the growth of the business.

“I cannot erase the dark phase of my life but I have a choice to move on. I hope that working at this restaurant, with other inmates with the same goal, will help me achieve that,” one of the prison inmates, who is serving a life sentence for the murder of a neighbour, was quoted as saying in the report.

Don’t Miss Out on the Latest Updates.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter Today!

Subscribe Now

Subscribe Now

Enroll for our free updates

Thank you