Rajasthan's Jail Minister Chandra Shekhar said, "Everyone is anxious to get rid of the prisoner -- police to the courts, courts to prison. Somebody has to rehabilitate him and the open camp in Rajasthan is one way of doing this."
The sign outside Dr. A.K. Sharma's home says, "Happiness is the every day sunshine of your life." His two children play inside the house, its walls a soothing white, as a large chess board waits with an unfinished game.
Sharma, a homeopath, was convicted for murder and stayed behind bars for nearly seven years. Today, he has a modest practice in Sanganer town and earns about 10,000 rupees (US$220) a month.
"In prison you don't have any worries or responsibilities. You don't have to pay for food, rent or worry about your family. That is why Sanganer is so special, because we do everything ourselves," Sharma said. With three years of his sentence left, Sharma is confident he will save enough to buy a plot of land.
Prisoners have to leave the camp once their term is over. Superintendent of Jails V.K. Mathur said, "Sanganer is between the jail and society. Here they are given the strength and encouragement to go back to the community."
The camp is not without its problems and Mathur admits two prisoners did try and run away. But such cases are rare. Any indiscipline sends the convict back behind bars, with no chance of returning to the freedom of Sanganer.
Anita Wadia, convicted for killing her husband, said, "Prisons damage you completely, you lose your looks, self-respect and dignity. Sanganer is unique because it gives you a second chance at life."
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