Kohima, November 5 (MExN): A Donor’s Consultative Meet for Prisons was held on November 5 at Prisons HQ, Kohima. The meet was attended by representatives from almost 15 churches based representatives from in and around Kohima. While welcoming the participants, Kedi Angami, Inspector General of Prisons mentioned that prisons are getting transformed into correctional and reformation institutions and Nagaland has only initiated small measures.
Director General of Prisons, CD & HG, Kohima, Rupin Sharma IPS mentioned that many persons and organizations in Nagaland have been undertaking sporadic measures of a charitable nature in prisons. However, a coordinated thrust and effort was required and therefore the concept of Donors Consultative Meet was evolved. DG Prisons, CD & HG, mentioned that “prisoners are in jails because of moments of lack of judgment in their lives resulting in then getting caught.” However, once they are in prison, not only do they suffer but often their families also suffer because they may be the only bread-earners.
DG Prisons, CD & HG outlined that the Prison Department is envisioning that the prisoners, while in jails should be involved in moral upliftment and also preparing them for social, cultural and economic re-integration into the society after their release. “If the prisoners can engage in industrial/economic activity, they would also be able to support their families who may be victims of the incarceration,” he suggested.
All participants, churches and NGOs agreed to support the initiative, in principle. They agreed to consult their respective parent bodies to draw up plans for coordinated assistance in upliftment of prisons/prisoners and their families. The Prisons Department would meanwhile draw up and circulate a Model Plan Framework.
The Donors Consultative Meet for Prisons also appealed to all NGOs, churches and Good Samaritans to join hands and as a gesture of goodwill requested the public that the school text books of their children should be donated to the district jails at the end of the academic session.
