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As the socio-economic disequilibrium, poverty and injustices are the few reasons behind ever growing crime rate and recidivism among offenders, the illiteracy, according to international researchers and HDO’s working experience, also serves as the key contributing factor to these problems.

Keeping in mind the importance of education for rehabilitation of jail inmates especially the survivors of custodial maltreatments, the HDO launched Non-Formal Basic Education Program from Haripur jail in 2006. Following the approval of district government and Education department, the “NFBE School for Prisoners” has been since its launch helping the torture survivors reentering their families and society with rejuvenated spirit and rebuilt life.

HDO’s team of literacy experts skillfully designed the education program in a way that both non-formal and formal education syllabus have been interlinked. And the juveniles, adolescent, adult men and women inmates and accompanying minor children of mother prisoners are equally benefiting from this program both in Haripur and Mansehra Jails.  

Methodology

The modus operandi applied for this program is that the registered torture victims/inmates are categorized in terms of their education, age and tendency. Inmates having some education are enrolled in HDO’s school and helped by HDO’s teaching staff preparing for next certificate/degree’s exams under formal system of education. While those of illiterates and semi literates including adults, are enrolled in the NFBE School for Prisoners where they are initially taught basic literacy course for three months. These learners are later mainstreamed with the approved education syllabus of Text Book Board Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Accompanying children of women prisoners are directly taught with syllabus of the same primary level education used in government schools. HDO’s this self initiative has enabled over 1000 TVs to become literate in consonance of international definition of literate while 500 inmates facilitated obtaining different certificate and degrees of different academic stages like Secondary School Certificate, Intermediate, BA and MA.

Educational, recreational services for accompanying minor children

As the accompanying minor children are another highly vulnerable group with chances of getting spoiled morally while living with women prisoners of different moral and ethnic background, the HDO from the very outset focused its attention on the education, health and moral wellbeing of these children.

For engaging these children in positive educational activities HDO has been offering both formal and non formal education services to these minors using the syllabus of both private and government institutions. They are also getting computer training.

While for their physical and recreational development HDO has installed play land facilities like seesaw, slides, swings etc, so that they could use their spare time enjoying recreational facilities rather than spending time with women prisoners from whom they could learn bad habits and contract diseases.     

The women psychologist and trained teachers take daily classes and educate them about religious & moral practices. Like other registered TVs/needy inmates these children are also provided with hygiene kits quarterly besides occasional support in the shape of nutritious food, like juices, milk biscuits.

Non Formal Basic Education Program