Voluntary Action for Rehabilitation and Development (VARHAD) Amravati is a Non-Governmental Organization registered under Societies Registration Act 1860. We are working for reformation and rehabilitation of prisoner and their families. VARHAD is presently based in Amravati Central Prison. In western vidharbha we are working across five district namely Amravati, Yeotmal, Akola, Buldhana and Washim with families of prisoner who are serving sentence in the Amravati Central Prison. We are also working in urban and rural communities in Amravati district for crime prevention.

VARHAD prevent further criminalization of prisoners in the Criminal Justice System and work to make them constructive members in the society after their release. We also work with families of prisoners, specially the children to reduce their vulnerability to crime as victim or offender.

VARHAD is value-driven organization, which through the professional approach deliver Programme, activities and render services to empower individual and families to develop crime free and better society.

Mr. Ravindra Bhaurao Vaidya a Social Worker founded VARHAD in the year 2001 in Amravati, Maharashtra (India). He has done M. A. in Social Work with specialization in Criminology and Correctional Administration from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai (India). He has 3 yrs working experience in PRAYAS (Social Work in Criminal Justice) a project of Tata institute of Social Sciences.

We had begun in 2002 with only two part-time workers by taking up cases in the Amravati Central Prison. Over a period of time, the team gradually expanded to 21 full-time paid Social workers, Para-social workers, trainers, teacher and administrative staff & volunteers. In the beginning, we only focused on the children of women prisoners who were with their mothers in the prison. Work initially commenced with the beginning of the Balwadi (Crèche) in the Women's Section of the Amravati Central Prison. Now we are also working with the children of male and female under trial and convict prisoners left outside. They are supported through sponsorship for educational if their families or relatives could not afford expenses for education. Some are admitted to residential institution for further schooling. Since this prison is a Central Prison, there are convicts and under trials from Amravati and four other districts of Vidharbha housed in it. Thus, the families of these prisoners are spread out in all the four districts of Yeotmal, Washim, Akola, and Buldhana, besides Amravati.

Then we had started a Training Center for the women prisoners in the barrack in year 2003. The center provides long-term training of tailoring and simultaneously provides short-term training courses in Ceramic Painting, Candle making, Embroidery, Mehandi Application etc. We began work in the prison with the objective to work with both under-trial and convict male and female prisoners. The next step was to support the prisoners for legal guidance and legal aid who are needy and poor. Besides provision to help the prisoners for legal aid, we also assist the prisoners to avail of the prison facilities like parole and furlough.

There is a frequent flow of release prisoners who are released due to our intervention. Then we felt need of aftercare services and support to the release prisoners to prevent recidivism and rehabilitate them in the society. Our aftercare services are aimed towards reintegration of the client into society and to prevent his future involvement in crime or anti-social activities. Beginning of aftercare services to our clients has demonstrated the need of work with the police. We have also started a “Sawitribai Phule Mahila Punarwasan Kendra” (Women Rehabilitation Center) for released women prisoners. Aftercare services are provided to the released prisoners. Through this, began our work with the police in regard to the rehabilitation of released prisoners. This Rehabilitation Center plays an important role in our work towards crime prevention in the community

We have also initiated community based crime prevention programme known as “VARHAD YOUTH CUNFERENCE”. There are more than thousand volunteers working for the cause. We have established ‘Youth Center’ for youth in Belapura, one of the crime breeding areas in Amravati.

VARHAD do networking and advocacy with government & Non-government agencies on the issues related to the prisoner & their families.