Social stigma makes released prisoners’ life difficult

CHENNAI: A year ago, 53-year-old Sankaran (name changed) walked out of a central prison in Tamil Nadu after spending 24 years in imprisonment. While his relatives have distanced themselves, Sankaran, with an aging mother to care for, has not landed a regular job. The tag of being a former prisoner follows him everywhere, making life difficult for him.

Sankaran, like hundreds of other released prisoners, is struggling to fit into mainstream society. They find neither jobs nor a supporting system as their life remains a puzzle with several missing pieces.

Irregular work, no steady income and disownment by families and relatives were the problems faced by the persons. “There is always a tinge of mistrust on us. There are incidents where many are hesitant to give work, keeping our past in mind. Some after learning about jail terms start behaving differently. So, we prepare to hide our past,” said Sankaran, while a group of released prisoners from Salem district echoed the same.

Sankaran lives with his 81-year-old mother and eking out a living by taking odd jobs, apart from working in a meat shop on Sundays. “The financial aid of Rs 50,000 will help many like me immensely. But the officials should help us with interest free loans to cover the shortcomings in starting a tiffin stall, meat shop or mechanic shop,” he said.

Getting married remains a distant dream for many of them. Those who were imprisoned in their 20s and released after serving terms are aged in the 40s now. No family is willing to get their daughters married to released prisoners. It is another issue of their social isolation. “I did not go to my native place to avoid embarrassment. With the help of a prison official, I am staying in Chennai and doing electrical work,” said 47-year-old Gopal, who was one among the unmarried released prisoners in their 40s.

Society is still seeing the released prisoners as “murderers” and “criminals,” said a group of released prisoners from Salem district. “Society fails to understand the trauma that we underwent during our imprisonment. We lost the prime of our youth behind the walls and lost our lives. I curse myself whenever I think of the fateful day that put me behind the jail,” said the 47 year-old released prisoner. He was one of the 12 prisoners released from Salem Central Prison a couple of months ago under the amnesty scheme to mark the 113th birth anniversary of former chief minister CN Annadurai. Kesavan, 42, now stays with his sister’s family.

Demand to reopen After Care Home

Sources in the prison department said the authorities should reopen the After Care Home, which was closed down in 2002. It was established to provide accommodation for the released prisoners who were disowned by their families or have no family members. The official, however, said the department couldn’t do much to do away with the social stigma against the released prisoners.