Innovative Phone-in Radio Program for Prisoners Enrolled as Students at Indira Gandhi National Open University

Providing education to prisoners while in jail is a win-win situation for both prisoners and society. For prisoners, the educational experiences in jail reduce their mental strain, isolation, and stress due to incarceration and simultaneously make them employment ready after their release from prison. Education helps prisoners become fit to earn on their own, and thereby reduces the chances of returning to jail (recidivism). Therefore, through educational experiences, the government saves money on prisoners' maintenance and earns taxes from their later employment. Providing education to prisoners, especially increasing efforts to provide quality education, such as is available to common students, is needed. The ‘Nagpur Experiment’, wherein the student prisoners of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) at Nagpur Central Jail are provided the‘Mediated Phone in Radio Counselling’ through public radio on a live radio programme is an attempt in this direction.