Maharashtra forms panel to help prisoners languishing behind bars in spite of bail

The central government decision came in April and the Union home secretary wrote to the state government in June.

The additional chief secretary (appeals and security) of the home department will be the chairperson of the committee, which will also have the principal secretary from the law and judiciary department and the additional director-general of police (prisons), among others.

The resolution said the central government’s scheme would help the socially deprived, less educated and poor people in particular.

After an undertrial is granted bail, he has to pay the bail amount determined by the court and also have witnesses who will stand surety for him. There are criteria on who can be a witness. A witness should, for example, not have a prior criminal record and be known to the undertrial.

“It has been reported that providing financial support to inmates to pay their fines or help them get bail will help them get out of jail and join the mainstream as responsible citizens of the country. Guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) have been determined for the successful implementation of the said scheme,” the resolution read.

Prisons in the state, especially the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, have long been suffering from overcrowding, with some like Arthur Road Jail housing prisoners four times their capacity. The government has provided assistance to prisoners who have received bail but are unable to be released due to lack of legal and financial help. Last year, the government assisted 1,641 such prisoners.