SECOND CHANCE FELLOWSHIP
Second Chance Fellowship provides a conceptual framework for overhauling the entire system and addressing systemic changes. The prison system's main focus is on the reformation of prisoners but the flaws and gaps which exist in the system such as mental health of officials and prisoners, bail bonds, delays in trials, understaffing of officials, among others, are frequently not addressed. Hence, it is necessary to revamp the entire prison system and work towards bringing structural changes.
The existing number of motivated and enthusiastic people in India is insufficient in comparison to the magnitude of the issue and opportunities for them to work in this area are limited in comparison to the severity of the problem. As a result, one strategy for achieving this goal is to create more leaders who will turn into social entrepreneurs by the end of the fellowship and start new social enterprises to bring systemic change to the prison system by creating initiatives which are sustainable, scalable and systemic in nature.
Second Chance fellowship is for passionate and exceptional social leaders who wish to create independent enterprises to revamp the prison systemic issues.
About the Fellowship
A year long, full-time paid engagement of fieldwork and capacity building workshops with the objective of creating a new carder of young change-makers/ entrepreneurs in the prison reform space.
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10 Fellows (including 50%+ ex-prisoners) every year are taken through a journey to identify systemic problems and design innovative interventions on the selected thematics which have potential to scale pan India.
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Fellows are placed inside the prison for evidence-based intervention 2-3 times each week. The following days will be centered on networking, technical and developing skills, and stakeholder management.
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Selected fellows for their initiatives is given an incubation opportunities.
Structure of SCF
Selection of 10 Fellows* ( 5 young and aspiring professionals from social and development field and 5 reformed ex-prisoners) are selected and matched every year.
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Each Fellow is placed in different Indian prisons where they scout and identify the Peer-fellow** (reformed prisoner), 5 peer fellows are selected and matched
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Orientation, capacity, and skill development sessions throughout the duration
Introduction to the Five thematic. 350+ hours of trainings/workshops every
year with fellows on thematic issues of prisons and entrepreneurship and systems
change.
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Mentors or Host organisations will be assigned to each pair of fellows
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Fellows are partnered to work on the selected themes under the guidance of a mentor***
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Action projects to be designed and pitched to become social enterprise.
5 new enterprises will be established and 5 entrepreneurs will be created.
Who are Our Fellows
* Fellows: 5 out of 10 fellows are passionate individuals who have completed their graduation in the field of social sciences and other related fields. Two years of experience in the social or development field is required of applicants and wish to bring about a change in the prison ecosystem by working inside the prison.
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** Fellows: Other 5 out of 10 fellows are individuals who are either incarcerated or have a history of being incarcerated in a correctional institution.
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*** Host Organizations: Organizations that would expose them to the social issue in the prison system. This component would support the fellows enrich their experience and learnings about the existing interventions in this field and an opportunity to learn with peers.
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