Volleyball brings a new kind of team life inside District Jail, Dhemaji
A new volleyball programme in Assam’s District Jail, Dhemaji uses structured play and peer leadership to create moments of belonging and trust among residents.
A conversation about sport and community led to an unusual initiative inside Assam’s District Jail, Dhemaji. The idea grew after Nandan Kamath of the GoSports Foundation visited the Brahmaputra Volleyball League and suggested a meeting with Abhijit Bhattacharya, a former captain of the Indian volleyball team and founder of the league.
Shortly after, discussions turned into action. A programme called Set for Dignity was launched at the district jail, bringing together Studio Nilima, the Assam Volleyball Mission 100, the District Legal Services Authority and the correctional administration at the jail. The project is built around resident teams, structured coaching and peer leadership.
When play shifts the rules of isolation
The jail, as described in the report, is organised around separation. Gates decide movement and time, and people often experience confinement through their individual case and cell. In that setting, a volleyball match changes how the hours feel. For one game period, the result depends on five others moving together, calling out, covering gaps and keeping the ball in play through quick, shared reactions.
The report describes how roles become clearer during rallies. A serve starts with one player, but the set creates a chance for another. A smash carries the work of earlier touches, and a block requires awareness of who is beside you and who is behind. When a touch goes wrong, the next player keeps the ball alive. These moments are repeated, turning small acts of dependence into something that resembles trust.
From labels to teammates
Sport in prisons is often discussed through practical outcomes such as discipline, fitness and teamwork. While those aspects matter, the account from Dhemaji says something harder to measure becomes visible during play: belonging and trust. During a visit by the former national captain, residents played alongside him on the same court, with laughter, encouragement and friendly competition.
As the game continues, identities can shift in everyday ways. The report notes that players do not just act; they also organise. One person may be someone others look to when a rally breaks, or someone who rarely asked for the ball begins calling for it. In the same space where institutional categories like undertrial, convict and prisoner remain, another story can begin to exist—one where a man is a teammate, a captain, or a mentor.
