July 1,2017:

Justice Misra said that,”In initial phase, after the profiling of the cases of each of the prisoner, we will make an attempt to secure the bail for those inmates who have undergone a major portion of sentence that would be awarded to them if found guilty”.

National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) is attempting to move beyond metros and the state capitals into hinterland and offering legal aid to poorest of the poor languishing in the District jails for years, unable to afford an Advocate.

Within a month, NALSA, with help of the State and District Legal Services Authorities, will map each of 4,19,623 prisoners languishing in the country’s 1,401 jails, list charges against them and find out who have not been able to engage lawyer.

Justice Dipak Misra, Executive Chairman of NALSA and the next in line Chief Justice of India stated that,“The idea behind the digitisation of the data of the cases against the prisoners, 67% of whom are facing trial, is to identify which of them need the legal assistance.

He further added that,”Each State Legal Services Authority will have a legal assistance establishment manned by the professionals who can connect with the prisons within State and reach out to the poor and the needy prisoners who require the legal assistance”.

Further elaborating he stated that,“There will be the video conferencing facility between legal assistance establishment in the each State Legal Services Authority and in the each prison to enable the professionals and the paralegal volunteers to keep in touch with the Undertrial Prisoners for better understanding of their case and provide immediate the legal assistance”.

Legal Services establishment counters have been opened in 20 States and the Union Territories and by end of July ,every State and the UT Legal Services Authority will have a similar facility .

 

Currently India has about 1,401 prisons including which are the 134 Central jails, 379 District jails, 741 Sub-jails, 18 Women’s jails and 63 Open jails.

In which a capacity is of 3,66,781 inmates, but 4,19,623 prisoners are lodged in such jails.

Source - PTI