Support to poor prisoners Scheme

The ‘Ministry of Home Affairs’ has prepared ‘Support to poor prisoner’s scheme’ to provide support to poor and indigent prisoners who are unable to pay the fine amount and unable to secure bail due to financial constraints. The Guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures for the implementation of the scheme are available in MHA website. ‘Empowered Committees’ are established in all the districts with district collector as head and including police, prison and judicial authorities. The under trial prisoners who are not a in a position to furnish financial surety for securing bail and convict prisoners who are staying in prisons because of non-payment of fine are eligible for this scheme. The Superintendent of Prison would inform the list of such prisoners to the Secretary of District Legal Services Authority who would enquire the financial condition of the prisoner with the help of social worker, NGO, District Probation Officer and Revenue Officer who would be mandated to cooperate with the secretary, DLSA. The empowered committee will recommend and sanction the fine amount up to 25000/- for convicts and bail amount up to 40000/-.