A LOOK INTO

What We Do

Over the years, Studio Nilima has calibrated and strengthened its work to reframe conversations around incarceration and to facilitate a humane trajectory for those who are processed by the justice system. It started working in 9 correctional homes across Assam, including District Jail, Morigaon, Mangaldoi, Goalpara, Kokrajhar, Dhubri and Central Jail, Guwahati, Jorhat, Tezpur, and Dibrugarh,. This served as an entry point for pivoting to and addressing other aspects of work with the community in the Correctional Homes.

Currently, Studio Nilima works in 5 Correctional homes of Assam including District Jail, Morigaon, Diphu, Mangaldoi & Barpeta, and the Central Jail, Tezpur in two overarching areas.

Pratidhwani

Access to justice | Strives to facilitate

  • Legal aid and access for people in custody, from marginalised groups, who face challenges in navigating the justice system. So far, Studio Nilima’s team has worked in prisons of 10 districts in Assam and has reached out to 1,778 inmates with legal aid, directly and indirectly (through its own team or by mobilising external counsels)

  • Awareness building for incarcerated people, on: information about their own cases (lawyers appointed, hearing dates, outcomes); the rights held by inmates, including those enshrined in the Model Prison Manual.

  • Strengthening the justice system by building the capacities of grassroots Legal Aid Defence Counsels; and creating knowledge platforms for prison officials, particularly on human rights and prison governance.

Sarothi

Access to Health and Mental Well Being | Aims to provide

  • Psycho social well-being in an effort to re-humanise the prison environment, by facilitating forums such as reading circles for inmates to encourage production of literature from within the prisons which are disseminated through the print journal, Nilima. 

  • Aaxa (hope) is a first prison music album that has developed collaboratively with jail superintendents, who shared poems written by inmates, and musicians from the outside. A selection of 13 poems that were shared by the Officers, were first published by Studio Nilima, and subsequently, 4 were set to rhythm and verse. READ MORE

  • Seeds for Change was initiated in 2022 with the Correctional Home authorities and a group of inmates to start a horticulture unit within District Jail, Morigaon. It was the first collaborative public private partnership in Assam between the Government of Assam through the Office of the Inspector General of Prisons, Vijaya Nursery and Studio Nilima. 

  • Health And Mental Well Being Camps have been organised since 2022 inside 8 Correctional Homes to support the inadequate health and mental health infrastructure in the correctional homes of Assam and address crucial gaps where they exist. Shortage of medical supplies and essential equipment have been filled, along with health monitoring and referrals, during the camps. Till date, the health camps have reached out to 1431 inmates.

Glimpses of our Interventions