Tinka Prison Radio helped 74% jail inmates to deal with mental issues in District Jail, Karnal in Haryana

Inmates were asked to respond to 10 questions
32% inmates prefer listening to romantic music
Haryana got its first Jail Radio in 2021

74% inmates lodged in District Jail, Karnal are able to deal with mental stress and issues related to mental health due to the availability of prison radio. This has been revealed in a recent survey conducted by Tinka Tinka Foundation. The survey has brought out several facts that are crucial in the domain of prison reforms. 50 respondents (25 men and 25 women) participated in this survey from the jail. Time period for this survey was from January 1 to February 1, 2024.

Karnal Jail has a capacity of 2434 inmates, with present occupancy of nearly 2050 inmates, including 59 women inmates. Inmates were selected from 34 barracks in the jail. The research was conducted under the aegis of Tinka Tinka Research Cell (TRC), which was established in 2021. TRC is a wing of Tinka Tinka Foundation which aims to carry out research on issues related to prison. Prison reformer Dr. Vartika Nanda is the founder of Tinka Tinka Foundation. She heads the Department of Journalism in Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University.

Research methodology: Respondents were given 10 questions pertaining to prison radio. The purpose was to understand the significance of jail radio and also the scope for improvisation.

Research Outcome: The answers have pointed out the potential of jail radio, including the role of music, in contributing to the healing process of jail inmates.

The research indicates that music is the most popular radio programme among prisoners. 46% of surveyed prisoners enjoyed Bollywood programs, 26% prisoners liked folk programs while 8% prisoners preferred health related programs. 18% of prisoners have indicated a desire for programs pertaining to agriculture, 24% prisoners want counselling related to their work and personal lives, and 46% prisoners prefer to listen to a mix of different kinds of programs. 52% of prisoners believe that jail radio has brought a positive change in their life. 26% inmates think that since the jail radio’s launch in 2021, there have been fewer instances of disputes between inmates and jail staff. According to 74% of inmates, jail radio has made it easier for them to manage stress and other mental health problems. 80% of prisoners believe that air-time is adequate.

Preferred Songs by the inmates: The jail radio plays music from a variety of genres. According to the survey, 32% of inmates prefer listening to romantic music, 2% prefer listening to relationship based songs, 12% prefer listening to sad songs, 36% prefer bhakti(devotional) songs and 18% like to listen to patriotic songs. Music is usually played in accordance with the atmosphere of the jail.

Jail Staff: Research was conducted under the supervision of Shailakshi Bhardwaj, with the support of Amit Bhadu, Superintendent of the jail. At the time of the establishment of TCR in 2021, K. Selvraj, DG, Prisons, Haryana had approved the appointment of two women inmates from this jail as researchers.

Prison Radio: Prison radio is a comparatively new concept in India. These radios are set-up and run in-house. The objective is to give inmates the opportunity to create their own content and also be the consumers of the content. Superintendent of District Jail, Karnal, Amit Bhadu feels that the impact of jail radio is clearly visible. It has reduced the cases of aggression and indiscipline by the inmates in jail. Shailakshi Bhardwaj believes that during Covid-19, prison radio proved to be a true companion for these inmates. Post pandemic, the radio continues to be a support for them.

Background: Founded by prison reformer Dr. Vartika Nanda, Tinka Tinka Foundation is credited with starting prison radio in District Jail, Agra (Uttar Pradesh), District Jail, Dehradun (Uttarakhand) and the jails of Haryana. Panipat was the first jail to have its own prison radio in the state of Haryana. Thereafter, Karnal jail radio was inaugurated in April 2021. Jail radio has been of extreme help, especially during COVID-19 when inmates were able to deal with mental stress and depression due to the presence of the radio. The jail radio room receives approximately 30-35 requests per day. In the initial stage, 10 inmates were chosen from this jail as radio jockeys, with 5 women as active participants. During the course of the journey, Tinka Tinka established Tinka Jail Paathshala, which aimed at inculcating the habit of writing and providing inmates the opportunity to showcase their creative and artistic skills.