Turkey: Jailed women produce ballot bags for 2019 poll

By Mustafa Dermencioglu

DENIZLI, Turkey (AA) - More than 150 jailed women in southwestern Turkey are working to produce 1.25 million ballot bags for the 2019 elections, the prison authority said Wednesday.

The women in Bozkurt Women's Open Prison in Denizli province -- serving various sentences -- are working legally under the social security insurance policy, Meltem Babaoglu, head of the prison told Anadolu Agency.

"The production of 1.25 million election bags which are required in 2019 [elections] is underway," she added.

The women are working at a textile factory located within the prison premises and are getting paid for their work, said Babaoglu.

She added that the inmates were being rehabilitated so that they could contribute positively to the society once their jail-term ends.

Babaoglu said that 133 women have been working on textile production, 16 on weaving and 11 on food production.

They produce bed linens, pique sets, towels, bathrobes, baby blankets, woolen products, shawl, foulard, loincloth and curtains in the workshop.

The products are being used by several public institutions including the Istanbul Coast Guard Command, Istanbul and Iskenderun Marine Supply Group commands, Ankara Polatli Duatepe State Hospital, Antalya Judge house, public prosecutors’ offices and teachers houses across Turkey.

Babaoglu added that all election bags since 2005 have been produced by the jailed women.