Reformative Justice Push: CJI Unveils India’s Largest Prison Rehabilitation & Skill Development Mission in Punjab
The initiative marked a landmark shift in India’s correctional policy by turning Punjab’s prisons into centres of certified vocational training, rehabilitation and reintegration
CJI Surya Kant Launches India’s Largest Prison Skill Development Programme in Punjab Under Reformative Justice Mission
In a major push towards rehabilitation-centric justice, the High Court of Punjab and Haryana; along with the Chandigarh and Punjab prison administrations rolled out one of the country’s most ambitious correctional reform programmes titled “Empowering Lives Behind Bars: Real Change – The New Paradigm of Correctional Justice” on December 6, 2025.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant inaugurated the initiative virtually from District Jail, Gurugram, marking a decisive shift from traditional incarceration to skills-based reintegration.
Supreme Court judges Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice Augustine George Masih, Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, and several High Court judges, were also present for the event.
At the core of the initiative is the launch of large-scale vocational and technical training programmes inside prisons. Model Jail, Burail, Chandigarh, has already set up “Jeevan Dhara,” a full-fledged Industrial Training Institute that will offer NCVET-recognised training combining practical workshops and theoretical modules.
From the 2025–26 academic session, one-year certificate courses in Sewing Technology and Woodwork Technician have commenced, with plans to introduce additional diploma and ITI programmes in trades including computer engineering, plumber training, COPA, welding, dress making, electrician training and cosmetology.
Punjab is simultaneously undertaking a parallel reform drive. The High Court, in partnership with the Department of Prisons and the Department of Technical Education & Industrial Training, will establish 11 ITIs within the state’s jails. These centres will offer NCVT-certified long-term courses for 2,500 inmates across all 24 prisons.
A second tier of NSQF-aligned short-term courses; ranging from bakery and jute products to mushroom cultivation and computer hardware, will be offered with nationally certified instructors, modern workshop infrastructure, and a monthly stipend.
A structured reintegration framework aims to ensure continuity post-release through enrolment in government ITIs, placement support via District Bureaus of Employment and Enterprises, MSME facilitation, counselling, and Good Conduct Certificates. Jail factories in carpentry, welding, bakery, tailoring and fabrication will provide hands-on experience.
Complementary reforms underway in Punjab include functional petrol pumps in nine jails, sports and yoga programmes, the Prison Inmate Calling System, Radio Ujala, and platforms for creative and cultural expression.
The launch coincides with the Punjab State Legal Services Authority’s statewide anti-drug campaign, “Youth Against Drugs,” which will also be inaugurated by the CJI.
Running from December 6, 2025, to January 6, 2026, the outreach programme will involve lawyers, doctors, schools, colleges, police and para-legal volunteers to strengthen awareness, prevention, and rehabilitation.