Members of the NSLSA during the awareness programme held at District Jail, Kohima on March 26.
Kohima, March 26 (MExN): The Kohima District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), in collaboration with the Nagaland State Legal Services Authority (NSLSA), organised a jail inspection and legal awareness programme at District Jail, Kohima, on March 26.
Member Secretary, NSLSA, Neiko Akami, NJS, said free legal services are aimed at providing assistance to inmates who cannot afford legal representation, ensuring they receive proper defence without any fee.
He said inmates unable to engage private lawyers can avail legal aid through the authority and urged them to clearly present their cases to panel lawyers. He informed that a legal services clinic operates within the jail premises, with panel lawyers visiting daily.
Akami added that cases of convicts may also be taken up for appeal in higher courts when deemed appropriate. He further said the government has set up a committee to look into the welfare of over 500 inmates in the state and that steps are being taken to improve facilities.
He noted that Kohima District Jail, though smaller in size, has some of the best basic facilities in the state and is environmentally friendly with scope for further improvement.
Additional Public Prosecutor, District Court Kohima, Abraham, highlighted the need to understand the judicial system, stating that punishment is not only about penalising offenders but also about reforming them through education, counselling and skill-building.
He said incarceration should be viewed as a corrective measure and encouraged inmates to utilise the time for self-improvement and rehabilitation. “What is important is what one becomes after release from jail,” he said.
Principal District and Sessions Judge-cum-Chairperson, Kohima DLSA, Mezivolu T Therieh, NJS, in her welcome address, urged inmates to avail legal aid services and report any demand for money beyond the free services.
Chief Judicial Magistrate and Secretary, Kohima DLSA, Cheliam Khiamniungan, NJS, chaired the programme, while jail counsellor Sarenti Aier delivered the invocation. Superintendent of District Jail, Sunny Keppen, proposed the vote of thanks.
During the visit, the team led by the Member Secretary interacted with inmates and addressed their grievances and doubts. Altogether, 49 inmates, including undertrial prisoners and convicts, attended the programme.
