Radiant Infosystems will hire prisoners for BPO works

Now, Indian prisoners will work for the BPO sector. In an uncommon move, Hyderabad’s Cherlapally Central Jail is going to open a BPO unit. Educated convicts who are serving out their terms will work in this unit.

Radiant Info Systems Ltd., a reputed IT firm, will provide necessary funds and the jail will provide space and labour.

Director General of Cherlapally Central Jail, C N Gopinatha Reddy, said that initially 200-250 inmates will be working in the BPO units. They will be chosen from inmates who hold matriculates and graduate degrees.

He said that the idea behind this project is to make sure that prisoners get some jobs upon release. Such project would help the employers to know about their employees in advance.

Prisoners convicted of fraud or robbery would not be hired but those who are serving for dowry-murders or harassment. The inmates will be first trained by experts and then they would start working.

Mr. Reddy said, “For starters, the convicts working at the BPO would not have access to phones as is the case in a call centre. They would be involved in bank-related work of data entry and transfer,"

There will be three shifts and 70-odd inmates will work in each shift. At the time of work, the prisoners will be taken out from their jail cells and work in the office inside jail premise and then would return to their cells after finishing their shifts. They will be paid Rs.120 per day.