Financial Times

Freedom thro’ garments for Lankan prisoners
By Ruwanthi Herat Gunaratne
The whir of 48 sewing machines fills the air, with 130 heads bent in deep concentration as each piece of clothing takes shape. It’s just another garment factory, passers-by assume. It is a garment factory but one with a difference, for it is within the walls of the Bogambara Prison in Kandy and has only men.

When the first-ever garment factory for prisoners opened at the Bogambara Prison last week, it was an achievement for Prison Superintendent H.M. Walter Bandara and a dream come true for the Freedom X factory’s Managing Director Neil Bogahalanda.

“The focus of the prison is custody, care and correction. I realized that to achieve that, more should be done to ensure that once the prisoners leave the prison they are capable of handling life on their own without having to fall back on crime,” says Bandara.

“The Chief Jailer at Bogambara, Samantha Alahakone is an old school friend. I visited the prison on his invitation some time ago and that is when inspiration struck,” explains Bogahalanda, a man of many trades. Starting out as a tea planter, he stepped into human resource management for 20 years and moved onto the garment trade, five years ago, working as General Manager of the Lanka Equities Group in Ratnapura.

Being a human resource person, the prison seemed a waste of manpower to him. “The prisoners are engaged in some activity but the skills they acquire are sometimes far from marketable.”

Bandara concedes that prisoners are permitted to engage in carpentry, masonry and other such trades. “We even have computer training but that does not guarantee that they will get marketable skills.”

Once they are free, the prisoners face many problems. “To them, the world seems to have changed. Their families and communities have undergone change and they find it difficult to adapt. They seem to get pulled back into crime,” admits Bandara.

The reconviction rate is 47%. “This is definitely far from the ideal situation and we had to combat the problem,” says the Superintendent. Bogahalanda’s proposal to set up a garment factory within the prison seemed like a godsend. Quick renovation of an abandoned building with the prisoners themselves involved got underway. Potential employees were chosen from among the unskilled prisoners and Interior Ministry approval sought and granted within three months.

“The biggest problem we faced was recruitment,” says Bandara. “Anyone else would jump at the chance. But the prisoners’ mentality is different. They have lost faith in the system and they do not see any good coming from anything organized by the Prisons Department.”

Sarath* convicted of robbery and sentenced to 14 ½ years imprisonment agrees. “Our ignorance made us wary of everything.” He was earlier working in the masonry section earning a paltry sum.

The garment factory wages came as a surprise to the prisoners. The prisoners are paid the set salary scale of the garment trade like any other employee and are also covered by a Workmen’s Insurance Scheme. However, the wages are not paid to the prisoners directly.

“A monthly cheque is sent to the department and 60% of the salary is deposited in the prisoner’s savings account, 20% channelled to the Prisoners’ Welfare Fund and the balance 20% to the government. Most of these prisoners have families waiting for them. The company has an agreement with us that a part of the profits will go for a scholarship scheme for the children of those working at Freedom X,” says Bandara.

With an initial investment of Rs. 4 million, Bogahalanda interviewed every single job applicant, before which the Superintendent had held nearly 10 meetings to encourage the prisoners to apply for the job. Bogahalanda is quick to point out that the crimes for which the prisoners have been convicted did not matter.

What were the selection criteria? “We needed uniformity, therefore only those below the age of 40 could apply and they had to serve a minimum of five years in prison. That was all,” says Bogahalanda.

“Before I was sentenced I worked in a tailoring shop and though it helped the garment industry is completely different. I had to start from scratch. When I leave prison I will have a certificate as evidence that I worked here,” says Ajith* a rape convict serving a 10-year term. The certificates will only state that the holder worked at Freedom X for the stipulated number of years. The Bogambara Prison will not be mentioned on it. “We feel a certificate that has anything connected to a prison will undermine public opinion,” says Bogahalanda.

The initial training that took place under the able guidance of Mangalika Liyanarachchi, who has 18 years of industrial experience. “When sewing of pockets were being taught, we got a pair of trousers with every conceivable pocket on it,” smiles Bogahalanda. During training 511 needles were broken. “That’s all a part of the trade,” laughs Liyanarachchi, “But it must be a world record!”

The commonest problem faced by prisoners, jailers and trainers was discipline. They were required to sit at their work for at least three hours and this was a nearly impossible feat. Every few minutes the prisoners would move around restlessly. And breathing exercises had to be introduced. “As a result the prisoners who work at the garment factory are much more disciplined,” says Mazar*, a machine operator serving a sentence for drug smuggling.

Work starts at 7.30 a.m. and goes on till 5.30 p.m. “The workers have two tea breaks and a lunch break,” says Liyanarachchi. The prisoners engage in every aspect of the trade, with 12 veteran non-prisoners only overseeing the cutting, sewing, quality control and packaging.

“We adhere to the vendor compliance requirements of the top brands. This is not necessary since we only produce components at the moment. But it helps to ensure quality,” says Bogahalanda. Selling garments made by the prisoners faced some obstacles. “We had to convince buyers, but we have managed to break down pre-conceived notions,” he says.

How does Freedom X benefit from this project? “I thrive on challenging the existing system, so this was the perfect opportunity. Yes, it is a business with a human face. I also believe that absenteeism will be low and labour turnover lower, giving me a distinct advantage,” he adds.

The new Commissioner General of Prisons, Rumy Marzook is keen to replicate this project in other prisons. (*Names have been changed to protect privacy)

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