Now aged 80, Fr. Scaria continues a mission that began three decades ago with a 1995 visit to the Berhampore Central Correctional Home. What started as a solitary act of compassion evolved into a transformative national movement that redefined prison reform across India. Under his visionary leadership, DBPM introduced vocational training within prisons, established the world’s first government-recognised driving school inside a correctional home, and extended legal aid, counselling, and post-release rehabilitation services across West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Bihar.

 

Welcoming him to DBTI, Fr. Noble George, Principal, introduced Fr. Scaria to the staff and trainees, highlighting his decades-long commitment to restoring dignity and hope among prisoners and his influence in shaping national prison policies. Bro. Kurias Cyriac, who played a vital role in transforming the DBTI Okhla campus, felicitated Fr. Scaria with profound respect, acknowledging his lifelong dedication to the most marginalised and forgotten sections of society.

 

Addressing the trainees, Fr. Scaria urged them to make full use of every learning opportunity at DBTI to become skilled, confident, and responsible citizens. Drawing on his own journey, he reflected on how small acts of service can lead to systemic change. “No land is too barren and no heart too broken to be redeemed when compassion leads the way,” he affirmed.