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The first ever garment factory in the prisons premises named 'Bogambara Prison Freedom X Garment' was opened last week at the 127-year-old historic Bogambara Prisons by the Minister of Central Region Development Tissa Attanayake.

The Prisons Department in Sri Lanka has a history dating back to 163 years and this is the first time that a hi-tech trade using modern appliances targeting the export market has been launched.

Chief guest Minister of Central Region Development Tissa Attanayake at the garment factory. Commissioner General of Prisons Rumy Marzook is also in the picture.

The prime move behind this unique project is former St. Anthony's College ruggerite and cricketer Neil Bogahalande who after a stint as planter in the Dickoya and Dimbula districts turned his attention to the garment trade where he felt that his resources could be used more gainfully. Neil has a deep interest towards the welfare of the workers and the downtrodden. He was held in esteem by plantation workers and the villagers when he once opened a road in an estate in Hatton which was a short cut to the town.

Reminiscing, he said one day he had occasion to visit the Bogambara Prisons to meet a schoolmate of his. He was amazed to see about 60 prisoners weeding a small plot of land, which could have been done by a single person. He felt that here is under-utilised labour which is waiting to be tapped, if the necessary opening is provided.

Neil is a professionally qualified person when it comes to handling labour and human resources. One of the areas which he had made indepth studies was the rehabilitation of prisoners. He has visited a number of prisons in Australia including Joplin Prisons in Sydney where he was highly taken up with the role played by the private sector in the reformation of the prisoners where they are made to feel comfortable and taught trades for which there is a demand for employment. In Sri Lanka the system is antiquated and is limited to coir related work and carpentry which is hardly of any interest to the prisoners.

He asked, after being released from the prisons is the prisoner going to twist coir ropes and he is generally inclined to return to crime, when he finds, there is no avenue of decent employment which makes his re-entry to society a very difficult task. Neil also found that 47 per cent of the prisoners, sometime or later come back to the prisons.

At present prisoners are paid Re one per day and when they are released they are paid Rs. 200 as bus fare which is hardly sufficient when you are returning to your family after years in prison. So in most instances, what they do is to have the easy way out by picking somebody's pocket which provides him with instant relief. He felt that this has to be changed but within the framework of the Prisons Ordinance which itself is antiquated.

Neil was convinced that here was plenty of marketable skill which all these years has been going down the drain in the absence of an investor and above all a motivator. When he first suggested the idea of a garment industry in the Bogambara Prisons to the present Superintendent Walter Bandara, his response was excellent and he set the official machinery moving.

Interior Minister John Amaratunga, Commissioner General of Prisons Rumy Marzook, Senior Secretary to the Prisons Department Mrs. Chandra Ekanayake, Commissioner of Prisons (Administration), Upali Dharmabandu and the local officials Chandana Ekanayake, Samantha Alahakoon, Upali Jayasinghe all showed immense interest and wanted it to be implemented without delay despite eyebrows being raised in certain quarters on the problem of having a private garment industry in the prisons which is normally out of bounds to outsiders.

Undeterred Neil and the Prisons officials went ahead with their project once the green light was received from the top. The next difficult task of training the hardened prisoners who are used to rough handling was how to use sophisticated and modern sewing machines. At first there was difficulty in keeping them in one place for eight hours as prisoners are generally used to moving from place to place and not doing anything worthwhile. A dexterity test had to be conducted and they were also given breathing exercises as they get often suffocated. In the first month alone the prisoners while training broke 511 needles and also a large number of machine plates.

But they gradually picked up, said Neil who is happy that the prisoners are a disciplined lot and carry out their duties most diligently. He has also been careful in the recruitment as his recruits generally serve a minimum of five years. On the plus side there will be no transport involved or labour problems and absenteeism which is a chronic problem in any garment industry will be zero unless for medical reasons. Neil assured that the Bogambara Prison Freed X Garment factory has adhered to the United States Vendor Compliance requirements on health and safety.

At present there are ninety machines and 130 prisoners working at this garment factory under the supervision of seven professionally qualified personnel who set high standards and rigid quality control. Since the production of delicate garments by the prisoners is out, the production is limited to heavy garments for which export markets have been found.

In addition Salu Sala has also come forward in a big way to help this social need by providing a big order for the supply of uniforms of various categories. They will supply the raw materials and the know-how and buy back the finished product.

The prisoners turned garment workers will be paid an allowance of Rs. 3,000 per month and 60 per cent of it will be deposited to their savings which they will be able to withdraw on being released. The balance 40 per cent will go equally to the government and the Prison Welfare Fund which will serve another worthy cause. This is indeed a revolution from the Re 1 per day hard labour to work under hygienic conditions in the shade and cool of the garment factory for a good pay and what is most important is that they had learnt a trade which could find them even foreign employment.

Neil has found the prisoners to be highly skilled in wood carving and polishing and he is exploring the possibility of marketing these products to tourists through Blue Chip companies and tourist hotels, to encourage them to develop these skills further which could bring in a lot of money, whilst being self-employed. This is another area which could help the prisoners to lead decent lives and live as responsible citizens when they are released from jail.

Soft spoken Neil who has a soft corner towards the unemployed and under employed is happy that his ambition to help the prisoners has found the light of day. He is grateful to the prison authorities for implementing his proposals which will be mutually beneficial and at the same time prevent the convicts returning to a life of crime.