LocationsBy equipping the inmates of Tajikistan’s prisons with valuable sewing and furniture-making skills and providing psychological support, UNDP and Global Affairs Canada are helping improve lives and create new opportunities for them to repurpose their futures and contribute meaningfully to society beyond prison walls.
Tajikistani Prison-Made Furniture and Clothing Revive People's Life Purpose Beyond Bars with UNDP and Canada’s Support
August 4, 2025
Inmates at the Dushanbe-based penitentiary institution sew uniforms in a newly equipped workshop.
Zarina Juraeva/ UNDP Tajikistan
Hope in Every Stitch
Otabek Ashurov*, 38, looks at the world through prison bars, but his heart beats with hope because every day, he wakes up with a purpose. Imprisoned in the Dushanbe-based Penitentiary Institution, his mornings begin with a routine that brings him a feeling of being needed – he goes to work, a part of the day that makes him genuinely reassess his past experience. He’s a tailor in a sewing workshop.
Otabek Ashurov*, 38, in a sewing workshop where he mastered tailoring skills and is now actively involved in uniform production.
Zarina Juraeva/ UNDP Tajikistan
“I never imagined I would spend my days sewing uniforms and clothing,” Otabek shares, threading another needle. “Yet in a short time, I became a professional tailor. Now, I am even passing on my skills to others.”
Otabek is one of 100 inmates actively involved in the sewing production line. They work in two shifts, sharing machines for embroidery, sewing, and finishing.
In this sewing workshop, inmates like Otabek don’t just pass time — they produce high-quality uniforms for military and medical personnel, schools, and manufacturing facilities.
Furniture Born from Care
But it’s not only about sewing. In another corner of the facility, mattresses are made — in partnership with the neighboring carpentry workshop, where Otabek also found friendship.
His friend, Latif Jononov*, 43, chose a different path in furniture making. In the carpentry workshop, Latif and 60 other inmates design and build tables, chairs, sofas, beds, and more.
“I was offered a choice — to do sewing or build furniture. I chose the second; Otabek went for the first,” Latif recalls. “Now I’m a certified furniture maker with two diplomas.”
Thanks to the UNDP and Global Affairs Canada “Strengthening Social Cohesion through Participation and Advancement of Rights Among Young Women and Men Vulnerable to Radicalism” project, not only the Dushanbe-based prison, but also the institution in Vahdat have received fully renovated sewing and furniture-making workshops.
Breadwinners Behind Bars
Since 2023, this UNDP-led initiative has supported the three penitentiary institutions, offering inmates to acquire new professional skills and build, emotional resilience, and creating real opportunities for reintegration into society.
In Dushanbe and Vahdat, once outdated facilities have been transformed into fully equipped, modern training spaces. Inmates are now involved in carpentry, sewing, and mattress production using modern machines and transferring skills to others.
And their efforts are already making an impact beyond prison walls. In 2024, a secondary school in Vahdat placed an official order for uniforms made by inmates trained in these workshops — a powerful symbol of trust and rehabilitation.
To help expand these opportunities, the Government of Tajikistan has granted special privileges to the penitentiary system, enabling it to compete in government tenders. This forward-looking policy is opening new doors for prison-made products, ensuring the sustainability of these labour programs, and engaging many people in the rehabilitating activities.
For inmates like Otabek and Latif, the rewards are more than professional. Their work is compensated, allowing them to send modest support to their families even from behind bars.
Healing Minds – Equipping Hands
Vocational training is just one piece of the program. True rehabilitation goes deeper, into the emotional and psychological healing of those incarcerated.
Since 2023, more than 4,160 inmates — including 660 women — have participated in psychological counselling and religious therapy sessions in Vahdat, Dushanbe, and Norak. Led by leading experts, these sessions provide safe spaces to reflect on the past, cope with trauma, and rebuild a sense of self-esteem.
At the same time, over 100 prison staff have taken part in capacity-building sessions based on international standards of prisoner treatment. Civil society representatives have also been trained to support reintegration, especially in juvenile and women’s institutions.
Collaborating for Systemic Change
This holistic approach is made possible through strong national partnerships — including the Main Department for Execution of Criminal Sentences under the Ministry of Justice, the General Prosecutor’s Office, the Center for Islamic Studies, and the Public Organization “Human Rights Center”.
UNDP Tajikistan has also partnered with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) aimed at strengthening state capacity to manage inmates with a background in violent extremism, while enhancing their prospects for rehabilitation and reintegration. In 2024, more than 70 staff of the penitentiary system joined a series of roundtables and consultations, shaping stronger national practices for rehabilitation and reintegration.
The Road Ahead
This initiative was carried out within the UNDP’s “Strengthening Social Cohesion through Participation and Advancement of Rights Among Young Women and Men Vulnerable to Radicalism” project, supported by Global Affairs Canada. It lays the foundation for long-term reintegration and a reduction of recidivism.
Looking ahead, UNDP, in partnership with the Government of Tajikistan, is elaborating a vision for the establishment of a comprehensive probation system in Tajikistan. Such a system would help to better rehabilitate and re-socialize people leaving the penitentiary system and expand the training capacities in various penitentiary institutions of the country, directly linking them to the local market needs. In this effort, UNDP is focused on support to the post-release employment, market linkages, and policy advocacy to reduce stigma and foster the social reintegration of former inmates.
Through sustained investment and collaboration, these initiatives are enabling Otabek, Latif, and dozens of other inmates to rebuild their lives, regain hope, and confidence in their ability to make meaningful contributions to society.
*Names has been changed to protect the survivor's identity.
For media inquiries, contact: Nigora Fazliddin, Communication Analyst, UNDP Tajikistan, at nigorai.fazliddin@undp.org