By Archana Sharma

Jaipur, Apr 26 (IANS): Storytelling sessions in jails? This might leave you flabbergasted but it is true that the women prison here has become a regular witness to the storytelling sessions where women prisoners exchange their stories with other inmates to grow morally stronger and come out enriched with knowledge.

"Amid spike in Covid cases, lockdown has been enforced in the state, that resulted in the restrictions to the jail's visit by the inmates' family, friends or trainers. Hence, the prisoners here have occupied themselves in a very creative and engaging activities, said Monica Agrawal, DIG, Prisons, Rajasthan.

"Unable to do any other task, they are collecting books from the library and reading out stories for other inmates. Also, there are other females who are learning to read and write from these inmates," she added.

"One Saraswati (name changed) is an illiterate woman who has been here on dowry charges. She could not read or write anything. However, the inmates have taught her basics of Hindi language and now she can read the alphabets," Agrawal said.

Jaipur prisoners last year too had contributed during lockdown in a big way. They had donated their one-time chapati for have-nots and made containers for birds which could be kept outside with water to quench their thirst.