New Delhi, May 27 (IANS) The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) on Wednesday introduced the ‘E-Prisons Early Release Processing Module’, a tech-driven initiative to speed up remission and premature release of eligible prisoners across the country.

The module, developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) within the existing e-Prisons platform, was rolled out at a pan-India level in virtual mode pursuant to directions of the Supreme Court in Surendra @ Sunda vs. State of Uttar Pradesh case.

According to NALSA, the module has been designed to address systemic delays in processing remission and premature release cases of eligible prisoners by creating a streamlined digital mechanism for timely identification and movement of proposals among authorities.

The newly-introduced module provides for automatic identification of eligible prisoners in advance of their eligibility date, online processing of proposals, real-time SMS and WhatsApp alerts on the status of applications, colour-coded alerts with grace period monitoring, centralised dashboards and digital accountability mechanisms aimed at reducing delays caused by manual movement of files.

The platform is also expected to improve coordination among prison authorities, police departments, legal services institutions and other stakeholders involved in the remission process.

The initiative was initially implemented as a pilot project at Central Jail, Agra, and District Jail, Lucknow, following directions of the apex court. After successful implementation during the pilot phase, the module is now being rolled out for adoption across states and union territories (UTs) in accordance with their respective remission and premature release policies.

The platform was launched by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, Patron-in-Chief of NALSA, in the presence of Justice Vikram Nath, Executive Chairman, NALSA, and Justice J. K. Maheshwari, along with senior officials of the Supreme Court, NALSA, prison authorities, and NIC.

Speaking on the occasion, CJI Surya Kant said that a prisoner eligible for consideration of remission or premature release “should not remain in uncertainty only because procedures move slowly or responsibility travels across offices without resolution”.

“Administrative delay, if left unattended, risks diminishing the very fairness that the process is intended to secure,” the CJI observed. Justice Vikram Nath said the true success of the initiative would depend not on “the sophistication of the software” but on whether it succeeds in reducing unnecessary incarceration and ensuring timely consideration of eligible prisoners.

“Whether transparency replaces uncertainty, and whether the constitutional promise of fairness reaches even those at the farthest margins of the justice system,” the apex court judge added.

NALSA said the initiative reflects the growing role of technology in strengthening access to justice, enhancing transparency and accountability, and improving institutional efficiency within the criminal justice system.

It added that the module is expected to significantly benefit eligible prisoners by ensuring that their cases are considered in a timely manner in accordance with law and applicable policies.

–IANS

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