Inmates in Kyrgyzstan train for vocational careers before release

Inmates at correctional facilities in Kyrgyzstan are learning new trades to prepare for life after their release.

The State Penitentiary Service of Kyrgyzstan operates production areas where prisoners work in various industries. At institution No. 27, a furniture workshop produces tables, chairs, and beds. Approximately 30 inmates work in this area for eight hours a day, earning between 8,000 and 30,000 soms depending on their output.

Some prisoners, like Melis, use their previous construction experience to adapt to furniture production, while others are learning the craft for the first time. The facilities also host a bakery and a sewing workshop. At the bakery, sixteen inmates work in three shifts to supply bread to other institutions. Leonid, a senior baker, plans to open his own bakery after his release in April 2027. In the sewing workshop, inmates produce various items including women's clothing.

Some prisoners, like Alibek, previously made camouflage clothing in Russia and now aim to develop their skills in garment production. Other inmates engage in agriculture and traditional crafts. At institution No. 1, prisoners work in a 300 square meter greenhouse to grow vegetables for the facility's cafeteria. Others learn to cut and produce kalpaks, a traditional Kyrgyz headwear.

Many of these individuals intend to use these acquired skills to start their own businesses or secure employment once they leave the correctional system.