Unnati is an Arts based rehabilitative intervention in prisons that looks at the psycho-social well-being of inmates, their children and jail authorities. True to its name, Unnati, the Sanskrit word for development and elevation, looks at arts as an equalizer for betterment of conditions in prisons.
Unnati aims to look at psycho-social wellbeing through arts practices to reduce violence in prisons, minimize recidivism among parolees and working with others by facilitating non-threatening and inclusive spaces for self-expression, self-reflection and self-care.
We believe in the extraordinary capacity of the arts to amplify the voice of those with lived experience of marginalization. This intent has birthed our programme Unnati.
Snehadhara’s work in criminal justice settings dates back to 2018 as a part of our association in the PIPAL Open Learning and Free Play Space at the Observation Home for Boys, Madiwala.
*A glimpse of a drumming and play session for the members of the Committee for Welfare of Juveniles and implementation of the Provisions of the Juvenile Justice in Karnataka – Hon’ble Mrs. Justice B.V.Nagarathna, Hon’ble Mr. Justice B.Veerappa and Smt. Uma M. G., Member Secretary (Karnataka State Legal Services Authority accompanied by Smt. Kalpana Purushothaman, Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) Member.
Project Rationale
It surely cannot be a coincidence that offenders can feel dehumanized within a prison environment and then go on to re-offend. If these offenders view themselves in this way, how can they be expected to change their lives in a positive manner, when they do not see themselves as people with a positive part to play in society?
Providing rehabilitation for inmates offers countless benefits to the individual inmate as well as the community that inmate will re-enter upon his or her release. The options for rehabilitation for inmates vary by facility, offense, and sentence length. Just like the cause of incarceration varies by inmate, the type of rehabilitation an inmate might respond to can also vary. While the educational, employment and community rehabilitation programmes have been in place in Indian Prisons, it is paramount to start looking at counseling and wellness rehabilitation in a more deliberate manner.
There is a high need to start to look at interventions where prisoners can participate in a socially acceptable and mostly communal activity that exposes them to a society based on perceptions, sensibilities, and form rather than stereotypes.
Our quest at Snehadhara for a truly inclusive community involves taking our arts practices for inclusion to diverse spaces – remand homes, observation homes, special needs institutions, deaddiction centres to name a few. We believe in the extraordinary capacity power of the arts to amplify the voice of those with lived experience of marginalization. Unnati looks at taking this innovation to the communities in Prisons.
Project Intent
Arts interventions are crucial to prison rehabilitation programmes which help repeat offenders to break their behavior patterns. The arts cover a broad spectrum of activities from drama to painting to music to storytelling. People respond to them in different ways, which is why it is so important that the broad scope of arts in prisons has grown over the last 30 years.
We believe that the arts can be used as a powerful tool of communication to challenge self-perception and prevent repeat offense. The Arts provides a secondary desistance shift in identity in how the ex-offender labels themselves. It is likely that once an offender starts seeing themselves as someone within society, they will begin to stop offending and will follow the rules and laws of that society or community within the prisons to start. The inclusive art circles, be it drama or visual art or story circles, provide an opportunity to express themselves and achieve recognition and experience a pride that is not criminal pride. The Arts allow them the chance to understand themselves and their emotions, and to view themselves in a different light.
Through artistic interventions and tools Unnati aspires to offer them a process through which they can learn to be different.
Flagging off the first Unnati project in collaboration with Dyvigya Care
at the Moradabad District Jail on 20th February 2023!
Dyvigya Care is a registered NGO in Moradabad and is the first implementing partner for project Unnati!
Dyvigya Care has been offering vocational training and employment opportunities for 500 women-approx since 2012 at the Moradabad District Jail. These have been through making woolen products, making earthen lamps, making mufflers and caps to name a few.
