‘Free Bird’: Bengaluru Central Prison launches clothing brand handmade by inmates

“FREE BIRD-Tailored for Change” shirts handmade by experienced inmates of the Karnataka Prison Livelihood & Rehabilitation Initiative. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Bengaluru’s Parappana Agrahara Central Jail has launched ‘Free Bird’, a new brand of premium ready-to-wear linen shirts sewn by inmates as part of an ambitious rehabilitation and skill development initiative.

The prison department introduced the brand, describing it as an effort to equip inmates with marketable vocational skills while creating products that can compete with leading clothing brands in quality and craftsmanship.

Training conducted

A select group of inmates underwent vocational training in garment making, conducted by HCL, a Delhi-based company, in collaboration with the department. The shirts are made from high-quality linen sourced from Surat and carry the Karnataka state emblem, Gandaberunda, as the brand’s emblem.

The inaugural batch of shirts received an encouraging response, with prison staff buying the entire stock within minutes of its launch, sources said.

The initiative goes beyond clothing. Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Prisons Department, HCL will also train inmates in bakery production. The department plans to launch the bakery products on the free market alongside the “Free Bird” clothing line.

Sales mobile van

Director General of Police (Prisons) Alok Kumar said, “The department plans to deploy a mobile vending van that will offer shirts and bakery products at select locations across Bengaluru, which will help build a wider customer base.

Officials noted that the jail’s stapling unit had been in operation in the past, but was shut down nearly a decade ago. Its revival means a renewed focus on rehabilitation through meaningful employment and skills development.

The long-term goal is to establish “Free Bird” as a recognized brand that demonstrates that correctional facilities can create opportunities for transformation by enabling inmates to learn, earn and prepare for productive lives after release.

Published – 4 Jul 2026 21:46 IST