TEHRAN –A stone-cutting workshop has been inaugurated in the central prison of Qom aimed to help inmates learn a new occupation, the provincial tourism chief has announced. 

The project, which has been carried out in collaboration with the private sector, aims at empowering the inmates, Alireza Arjmandi said on Tuesday. 

In addition to providing employment, this workshop will provide an income source for the prisoners, the official added. 

In October 2020, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts signed a memorandum of understanding with the Prisons, Security, and Corrective Measures Organization to create jobs and make income for prisoners.

The MOU also aimed at implementing special educational and promotional programs, identifying talented prisoners, and improving their social status.

The deputy tourism minister Pouya Mahmoudian said that handicraft products made by prisoners have been displayed in various exhibitions, and the income generated from selling these products has been returned to the prisoners and their families.

ABU/AFM