Radiant goes to jail for BPO staff shopping

An Indian company which provides call centre services for some of Britain's biggest companies is planning to employ prisoners in Hyderabad's Cherlapally Central Jail.

Around 250 educated convicts serving out their terms will work in the new centre, to be located within the prison premises, initially processing insurance claim forms and bank account applications for Indian clients.

But according to Radiant Infosystems, the Indian BPO firm behind the scheme, it will quickly expand to include work for customers from Britain and the United States. It is also keen to move into handling customer enquiry phone calls in the future.

The company, which lists Marks and Spencer and the Royal Bank of Scotland among its clients, has insisted there is no security risk, as the prisoners will not have access to sensitive information, including passwords and bank accounts.

It has also said that anyone convicted of fraud or robbery will not be allowed to work for it - but admitted murdered and violent criminals would.

Inmates at the jail are currently paid the equivalent of less than Rs15 per day for making furniture, but if they are hired by the jail's new call centre they will earn up to Rs100. They will work round the clock in three shifts and will be ranked according to their aptitudes and qualifications.

Radiant director C Narayanacharyulu said inmates who have completed their school education will be recruited along with any graduates and postgraduates. He said there were a number of highly-educated and computer-literate prisoners who had been jailed for 'dowry-murders' - the killing of new wives by husbands and in-laws because her family has failed to pay enough money for her dowry. He said inmates like these could play an important role in training other prisoners.