(ANS – Berhampore) – On Prison Ministry Day, August 10, we recall the transformative legacy of Kolkata province Salesian priest Father Scaria Nedumattathil, founder of the Don Bosco Prison Ministry.
What started as a compassionate visit to Berhampore Central Correctional Home in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, in 1995, evolved into the founding of the ministry, now a beacon of hope for thousands across India.
Thirty years on, Father Nedumattathil’s mission is clear: “To restore freedom, honor, and dignity to everyone behind bars.” His fourfold motto—Reform, Release, Rehabilitate, and Reintegrate—became the cornerstone of the ministry’s outreach. From legal aid and counselling to vocational training and cultural programs, his initiatives have touched over 25,000 prisoners and uplifted 45,000 family members.
Innovation Behind Prison Walls
Among his most groundbreaking achievements is the establishment of the world’s only recognized Motor Driving School inside a prison, offering inmates a tangible path to employment post-release. Vocational centers across West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Bihar train inmates in tailoring, electrical work, computer literacy, and more.
As part of healing through holistic growth, DBPM introduced music, sports, and cultural activities to foster emotional healing and community. Special programs for prisoners’ children ensure that the cycle of neglect is interrupted with care and opportunity.
Voices of Transformation
Rina Das, a former inmate and tailoring trainee, shares: “When I left prison, I had nothing. DBPM gave me a sewing machine and the courage to start over. Today, I run a small business and send my daughter to school. Fr. Scaria saw potential in me when no one else did.”
Mohammad Asif, trained in motor mechanics, reflects: “I used to think my life was over. But learning a skill gave me hope. I now work in a garage and help others who’ve come out of prison. DBPM didn’t just teach me—it believed in me.”
Prison Authorities Endorse
S. Chatterjee, superintendent of Berhampore Central Correctional Home, remarks: “Father Scaria’s approach has changed the atmosphere of our facility. Inmates are more engaged, hopeful, and less prone to conflict. His programs have become a model for correctional reform.”
Inspector General of Correctional Services, West Bengal adds, “We’ve seen measurable improvements in inmate behavior and post-release reintegration. DBPM’s collaboration with our department is one of the most effective partnerships we’ve had.”
Host of Collaborators
Father Nadumattathil’s pioneering work was co-piloted by Father T.L. Francis, whose strategic insight and pastoral care helped shape the ministry’s early outreach. Over the years, the ministry has flourished with the help of late Fathers C.J. Jacob and Manoj Joseph and through the support of the Salesian Provincial Team, including leaders like late Father Thomas Panakezham, Father Maria Arokiam Kanaga, and Father Biju Michael, regional councillors for South Asia.
Lay collaborators include Anupam Choudhury, Assistant Coordinator, who championed skill development and inmate welfare. The ministry has also partnered with DB Tech India and the Schneider Project to enhance vocational training, while maintaining close collaboration with prison authorities such as Nabin Kumar Saha, Deputy Inspector General of Prisons, and Dipak Sakri, Superintendent of Berhampore Central Correctional Home
Honored and Remembered
In 2015, Father Nedumattathil received the coveted Salsian Rector Majpr Paschual Chavez Award for innovative ministry, and in 2022, he was honored during the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav at a program held in the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Kolkata. Now in his 80s, he continues to inspire through the Human Resource Development Center in Dhobasole, West Midnapore—a region once plagued by militancy, now a hub of hope.
A National Mission of Mercy
Father Nedumattathil’s work is deeply rooted in the larger vision of Prison Ministry India (PMI)—a national voluntary organization founded in 1981, committed to the release, reformation, rehabilitation, and reintegration of prisoners across the country.
PMI believes that the worth of a human person is not measured by utility or status, but by inherent dignity. Through thousands of volunteers, chaplains, and collaborators, PMI transforms prisons into places of prayer, reconciliation, and renewal. As Father Francis Kodiyan, co-founder and national coordinator, affirms: “We seek to make some worthy whom society has judged worthless, and consider useful whom society has judged useless.”
Fr. CM Paul