Mumbai, June 19 (IANS) The first-of-its-kind legal aid initiative to assist undertrial prisoners launched in 2018 has benefited nearly 20,000 undertrial inmates so far, with around 9,000, approximately 45 per cent, having been released through various legal processes.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was an architect of this initiative, which incidentally has been adopted by the Central government at the national level, allocating dedicated funds for its implementation, said the Chief Minister’s Office in a release on Thursday.

According to the Prison Statistics India Report 2021, the average occupancy rate in Indian jails is 130 per cent, with about 77 per cent comprising undertrial prisoners.

The Chief Minister took the initiative to collaborate with industrialist Azim Premji and launched this legal aid project through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Azim Premji Foundation. Many undertrials remain in custody due to a lack of legal representation or the inability to afford bail. This initiative has helped undertrial inmates access legal processes and strive for justice, said the release.

The Maharashtra government, in collaboration with the Azim Premji Foundation, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), and National Law University, Delhi, has launched this initiative to provide legal support to undertrial inmates.

It is being effectively implemented in eight major jails across the state: Arthur Road, Byculla, Kalyan, Taloja, Latur, Thane, Pune, and Nagpur.

Social work and law fellows have been appointed in these prisons and the District Legal Services Authorities. These professionals assist inmates with case preparation, guide them through judicial procedures, and help ensure effective legal representation.

This initiative has led to fundamental improvements in the legal aid system, enhanced coordination in service delivery, and ensured better access to justice for vulnerable inmates. It has also driven significant progress at the policy level, said the release.

“Encouraged by its success, the Maharashtra government has renewed its MoU with the Azim Premji Foundation and is now working to scale the initiative further in a long-term, structured manner. The implementation continues actively. The next phase of the initiative will focus on strengthening information management systems, improving the effectiveness of prison-based legal clinics, and enhancing institutional capacities. Through this initiative, the Maharashtra Prison Reforms Division of the Home Department has established a national model for legal aid and justice accessibility,” said the release.

–IANS

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