The Department of Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Administration, KIIT School of Law, organised a significant academic Panel Discussion on “Humane and Time-Bound Mechanism for Early Release of Prisoners in the State of Odisha” on 11 September 2026 at KIIT School of Law.
The inaugural session was graced by Hon’ble Shri Justice Biswanath Rath, Former Judge, High Court of Orissa and Chairperson, Odisha State Law Commission, as the Chief Guest. The occasion was also graced by Prof. (Dr.) Raju K. D., Pro Vice-Chancellor, KIIT Deemed to be University; Prof. (Dr.) N. L. Mitra, Professor Emeritus, KIIT Deemed to be University; and Mr. Lokanath Mohapatra, Director, Legal Services.
The inaugural proceedings set the stage for an engaging academic dialogue on the legal and institutional framework governing the early release of prisoners, with emphasis on prison reforms, dignity, rehabilitation and criminal justice administration.
The event subsequently featured Technical Sessions I and II, bringing together distinguished experts from legal academia, advocacy and policing. The sessions featured Dr. Rose Varghese, Prof. Lokanath Mohapatra, Prof. Udit Narayan Mishra, Dr. Prabhu Prasanna Behera, Mrs. Shivani Das, Mr. Rajat Panda, Mr. Akash Chandra Sahoo, Dr. Paromita Chattoraj, and Dr. Suman Dash Bhattamishra. The sessions provided diverse perspectives on the challenges and institutional dimensions surrounding the early release of prisoners.
The deliberations explored key aspects of prison administration, premature release mechanisms, legal and institutional frameworks, procedural approaches, rehabilitation and criminal justice reform. The discussions emphasised the importance of developing a humane, transparent, objective and time-bound mechanism that balances the concerns of public safety with the principles of dignity, reform and rehabilitation.
The event was conducted under the guidance of Dr. Sarvesh K. Shahi, Head, Department of Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Administration, and coordinated by Dr. Susmita Priyadarshini Mishra and Prof. Pritam Kumar Samal.
