World Bulletin / News Desk
A leather products factory in a prison in western Turkey last year earned profits of 5.5 million Turkish liras ($1.5 million), benefiting its 78 inmate employees.
The 12-year-old factory produces 130 variations of leather goods such as jackets, bags, coats, and vests, Mustafa Gumus, the chief prosecutor of the Usak province said.
The made-to-order products are sold in 27 stores around Turkey and also online, he explained
The factory helps the inmates, he stated, saying they "find a chance to learn a trade and earn money, and after they do their time some of them set up their own factories."
The prison also offers courses, a bakery, and a solar power plant, Gumus stressed.
He added: "We save 350,000 Turkish liras (some $90,000) annually from the electric consumption with the plant."
