Shillong, April 26: Meghalaya Minister, Home (Police & Jail) etc James P K Sangma, today launched the e-Prisons Software at District Jail, Shillong. Also present during the Inauguration were Director General of Prisons, R P Agarwal, Commissioner & Secretary, Prisons, T Dkhar, Joint Secretary, Prisons, F M Dopth and T Dkhar, State Informatics Officer.
Addressing the gathering, Minister, Home (Jails), James P K Sangma said that Meghalaya is one of the first few states in North East to have launched the E-Prisons software and added that the inauguration in Shillong Jail is only a humble beginning and expressed confidence that the step towards digitization and modernization of prisons will be implemented in the rest of the prisons in the state.
The Minister said that prisons should be correctional and reformation centers and the inmates treated with humanity while providing them vocational and other skill development trainings so they can integrate with the society on their release and lead a fruitful life as law abiding citizens. “The main emphasis of prisons should be rehabilitation and integration with the society,” he said. He also added that there is a need of constituting the Central Jail to separate the hardcore criminals and Under Trial Prisoners.
The Minister also informed that the state government is committed to the modernization of jails and said that efforts are on to have video conferencing in every jail in the state to reduce the need of transportation of prisoners to the courts during trial. He also informed that free Legal Aid Services are being provided to the prisoners.
Mr Sangma said that the e-Prisons software will digitize not only the record keeping of the jail but will bring in much more transparency and accountability in the functioning of the jails.
Earlier, during his speech, Director General of Prisons, R P Agarwal, informed that e-Prisons will computerize and integrate all the activities related to prison and prisoner management in the jails providing vital information about the inmates to the prison officials and others involved in the Criminal Justice System. It will facilitate and manage visits, jail administration and grievance redressal.
e-Prisons developed by NIC is cloud based product designed with easy to use Graphical User Interface (GUI) and embedded with a comprehensive security measures providing a national integrated information about inmates.
