“The jail system acts like kidneys to the society, whereby it filters out the toxins and re-introduces the clean fluid into the system. This aspect is important and has to be understood in its truest sense as every prisoner one day has to come back to the mainstream society.People in jail are just like everyone else. They are there because they just happened to be at the wrong place, at the wrong time. The truly few rotten apples are not more than 5%; while the rest are suffering because of unfortunate incidents and accidents, which have happened to them.Ours is the land of the Vedas, the Upanishads and Gandhi, where love and forgiveness conquers all. Hence, any approach of punishment and hate has to transcend into one of reform and change as the future of our society is at stake. So, extend your hands and don’t shrug off from your responsibilities.Let this problem not be someone else’s but make it your own and make a difference, which you can do by just changing your negative attitude towards those in prison, to one of open-minded positiveness.I understood this basic fact after spending more than nine years in jail. And, I now consider it my most important responsibility to share my thoughts, opinions and experiences with as many people as possible in order to bring about a positive change. We must try and reform these people and not punish them, as punishment only brings ill-will and bitterness.Please join us, and help us make a better and safer tomorrow.”

Siddhartha Vashishta