By midday on Karva Chauth eve, the trays at Nav Srijan at Shastri Market in Sector 22 are nearly empty. The milk cake, priced at Rs 400 a kg, was the first to sell out. The queue of Diwali shoppers has barely thinned, and those at the back are still hoping to find something left.Behind the counter is a story that begins inside Model Jail, Burail. A variety of sweets, including khoya barfi, besan barfi, boondi laddoos, gujiya, besan laddoos and kaju katli, are prepared by a team of convicts in a dedicated commercial kitchen and sweet-making unit within the high-security jail premises. Traditional savoury snacks, such as jowar chakli, jowar mathi and bajra sev, are also available.The products are sold on a no-profit, no-loss basis, making them more affordable than those at conventional sweet shops.Chandigarh IG Pushpendra Kumar said working in the unit was voluntary. “The sweets unit is staffed by 10-12 convicts, and all of them have volunteered for it,” he said.The outlet also sells candles, clothing, paintings and millet-based products, all made by inmates. However, it is the sweets that draw the crowds.“Our sales are steady, with 70-80 kg of sweets sold daily. During the festive season, sales can go up to 100 kg,” the store manager said.“Our family buys sweets from here for every occasion. We live nearby, so our relatives also ask us to get sweets from this shop. We pick up sweets for them, too. I’m here all the time,” said Virat, a resident of Sector 22-C.Advance orders are a testament to the outlet’s loyal clientele. Families book sweets for the wedding season, while some even have boxes sent to relatives abroad.“We keep adding customers; we don’t lose them,” the manager said.According to the jail authorities, no additives or preservatives are used in the sweets, and consistent quality has helped keep customers coming back. The sweets are not prepared in bulk ahead of the festive season. Instead, they are made fresh according to demand, the manager said, adding that this helps maintain their taste and quality.UT Adviser Manoj Parida inaugurated Nav Srijan in 2019, and during its first festive season, the store recorded sales of around Rs 18 lakh, with sweets and bakery products emerging as the biggest draws.For the jail authorities, however, the outlet is about more than sales. It is also a means of equipping inmates with practical skills and preparing them for life after release.Convicts working in the unit are paid wages fixed by the government. Their work also contributes to their conduct records, which may be considered when remission and release are reviewed.The skills they acquire are equally valuable.