Ghaghidih Central Jail on the steel city’s south-eastern fringes is now endorsing beauty with a cause.

In a fortnight-long exercise from Saturday, walls of the central prison’s administrative building are now being painted to showcase the value of individual freedom that can only be guaranteed with a crime-free life. Other themes include the mindset of prisoners, a sense of togetherness, cleanliness and prison security.

Asked why this move, Ghaghidih jail superintendent Satyendra Kumar Chaudhury said the idea to get the administrative building filled with painting struck them when on August 15, district and sessions judge Manoj Prasad during his visit to the jail, appreciated the Sohrai paintings on the prison walls. With him, East Singhbhum DC Amit Kumar had also liked the paintings very much.

The Sohrai paintings were made by a couple of prisoners with an artistic bent. The DC had immediately suggested paintings to walls.

But as the jail administrative building is outside the main prison campus, Chaudhury pointed out that it would pose a security risk to have prisoners paint the walls there.

“This is why we hired a private painter from the steel city for the job,” the jail superintendent said. “Our briefing to him was to make paintings that highlight the ideals of the jail as a reformatory.”

Sonari-based painter Arjun Das, 28, said this was a novel assignment for him.

“I have listened to the ideas of the jail superintendent and am working accordingly. I am translating those. Our broad aim is to showcase to the world how important freedom is, which comes from a crime-free society. We want visitors to understand the value of freedom. This apart, we want to show how a jail influences the prisoner and disciplines him. Security, hygiene, togetherness are also important aspects of jail life,” the painter said.

He added the painting materials used were weather-proof.

Ghaghidih central jail is set up on 13 acres, with the actual prison building on 3 acres and the administrative building on 0.25 acres. The jail has the capacity of 1,447, but currently lodges over 1,800, including under-trials.

Should all prisons have such visual messages? Tell ttkhand@abpmail.com