The Tj's: Extravagant business by Detainees

All detainees in Tihar Prison get "do waqt ki roti", kapde where 'divergence' assumes no part, a rooftop that doesn't break and covers to envelop themselves by around evening time. No, I've never been to prison, not to mention Tihar, however, I know this through a new encounter. 

All prisoners in Tihar Jail get “do waqt ki roti”, kapde where ‘disparity’ plays no role, a roof that does not leak, and blankets to wrap themselves in at night. No, I’ve never been to jail, let alone Tihar, but I know all this through a recent experience.

TJ’s represent Tihar Jail’s products, and the chef for TJ’s bhujia was… guess?

Tihar Jail gained its notoriety because of the notorious criminals and political prisoners it has housed during its history. Tihar Jail is under the control of the Department of Delhi Prisons, Govt. You could call it a mini-city with nine central prisons, its own radio station, and all kinds of productive and recreational activities available within its four (or more) walls.

The Tihar jail complex houses more than 17,500 inmates. Apart from the infamous criminals, Tihar Jail is better known for the correctional nature of the institution. Its inmates are transformed into productive members of society. 9 in 10 convicts of Delhi prisons were under trial in 2020. The TJ's store had a humble beginning when, in 1961, the jail factory was established.

Its primary purpose was to transform inmates into productive members of society by teaching them gainful occupations. Amazon, Flipkart, Jio store, Vishal Mega Mart, etc., are all vying to distribute TJ’s range of products.

The lion’s share of its revenue, 65%, comes from the carpentry store, whose products are distributed all over government offices in the NCR region. In recent years, Tihar jail applied for and received the FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) license after making considerable updates to its edible production facilities.

All the inmates who work and have worked for TJ’s Food Products received training in FSSAI standard operating procedures. In fact, all their food products are printed with a 14-digit license number, reassuring their quality and standard. So, when we say that Tihar Jail has a factory within, we’re not kidding.

For example, the Sanitary pad factory- this unit makes sanitary products; goes by the name Fempride, to meet the in-house needs of the inmates and is also available for sale. The idea behind TJ’s is to provide inmates with a livelihood and provide products to the ultimate consumer at a reasonable price to gain market acceptance. So, the margins of TJ's food products are not likely to be more than 5%.

A specific segment pays inmates' salaries, and the remaining meets the jail budget. Ajay Singh is a valued inmate of the bakery and namkeen unit and gets paid Rs 3,500 monthly. In the present day, an inmate working in these factories can earn between ₹171-₹308 per day, depending on their skills.

They can only claim these wages in cash after being released, and till then, the amount gets credited to their TJ’s Debit card, which could be used inside the jail for buying food items. When Kiran Bedi was the Inspector General of Tihar Jail in 1995, she contributed to the development of TJ’s bakery.

She had a major role to play in improving the quality of life of the inmates and making Tihar (somewhat) self-sustainable with TJ’s. TJ’s is a noble initiative that seeks to transform violent criminals into productive members of society.

After all, if prison systems do not make any effort to convert criminals into peaceful and productive members of the community, then they will only continue their criminal activities after their parole or release. With TJs, they learn valuable skills with the help of which they can become productive, earning members who can support their families after their return.

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