Morung Express News
Dimapur | October 23
The Central Jail, Dimapur has got a library. An initiative of the CAD Foundation, the library was inaugurated today by the DG, Prisons, Home Guards & Civil Defence Rupin Sharma.
Project Coordinator of CAD Foundation, Sangti Konyak said that the Central Jail, while being a correctional facility, was found lacking in facilities that would help in the intellectual growth of the inmates. As per an assessment conducted by the Foundation, Sangti said that over 80 percent of the inmates of the jail were found to be literate. This led to the Foundation forwarding a proposal to set up a library for the inmates, which was approved by the Prisons authority, he added.
“Since the prison is also an environment, where reading habits can be cultivated, the project team decided to start a mini library inside the prison for which the team approached the Jail Authority...”
The project further found support from well wishers, who donated books. It eventually received around 1500 books, which were used to set up the library.
DG Prisons, Sharma regarded the initiative as the beginning for prisons reform in the state. While stating that prisons population is rather low in the state as compared to other states, he added that this makes it impractical to set up factory-type facilities to productively engage the inmates. Initiatives like the setting up of a library would help, he said.
“In today’s context, education and knowledge is equivalent to development. It is the basis of development.”
In this regard, he proposed having a system through which educated inmates would conduct classes for fellow inmates. He said that taking part in the initiative would come with the incentive of sentence remission. Further, inmates using the library regularly would also get the opportunity for a sentence remission. He though added that this would be subject to the dedication of the inmate.
Stating that prison time is a good opportunity for inmates to reform, he informed that a plan is on to start a vocational training programme. “Driving training for inmates in collaboration with the Assam Rifles is being proposed,” he said.
He further informed that Zunheboto District Jail is line to have such a library soon.
