With the inauguration of the "Refurbished Legal Aid Clinic & 'OJAS' Centre for Learning for Jail Inmates" in Tihar jail, the inmates will now be able to get legal aid and Vocational Training Centre.
The programme was inaugurated by Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, Judge, Supreme Court of India and Executive Chairman, National Legal Services Authority along with Justice Vipin Sanghi, Acting Chief Justice, High Court of Delhi and Executive Chairperson, Delhi State Legal Services Authority; Justice Siddarth Mridul, Judge, High Court of Delhi & Chairman, Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee along with other Judges of Delhi High Court. It was launched by Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) under the aegis of the National Legal Services Authority in association with Delhi Prisons.
Apart from the above dignitaries, Principal District and Sessions Judges, Judicial Officers of DSLSA, senior officers, especially from Delhi Prisons, witnessed the event.
"Every person who comes in contact with the criminal justice system is a person in difficult circumstances who has fallen out of the protective net at some point and has been robbed of an opportunity of a safe and secure life. Hence, they must be given another chance to reboot and restart their life. It is our collective duty to inculcate a learning environment in prisons and ensure that prisoners return to society as Good Samaritans," said Kanwal Jeet Arora, Member Secretary, DSLSA.
According to DSLSA, with the launch of OJAS, Vocational Training Centre, skill-based courses, continuous education courses and vocational courses would be provided to inmates to make them neo-literate and improve their economical abilities. Courses ranging from Painting, Plumbing, Textile Designing, Stitching to Electrical devices and Mobile Repairs would be provided to the inmates. The DSLSA further added that through the acquisition of skill-based knowledge, inmates would have better job opportunities and a sense of confidence which would help their rehabilitation into the mainstream of society after their release from Jails.
Furthermore, the Refurbished Legal Aid Clinic manned by Legal Aid Counsels and Para-legal Volunteers of DSLSA aims at providing improved access to legal aid services for inmates. Panel Lawyers visiting the jails provide free, competent and efficient legal assistance to the jail inmates so that they are not deprived of their constitutional and statutory rights and also help them file appeals or misc. applications in the courts after interacting with them, DSLSA said in a statement.
( With inputs from ANI )
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