SUPPORT FOR PRISONERS SCHEME

SUPPORT FOR PRISONERS SCHEME

For providing support to poor and indigent prisoners, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has prepared the “Support to Poor Prisoners” scheme, which aims at providing relief to poor prisoners, who are unable to pay the fine amount or are unable to secure bail due to financial constraints. The Guidelines and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for implementation of the Scheme were finalized in consultation with various  subject experts,  legal  advisors  and  State  Government  officials, etc. These were shared with the States/Union Territories (UTs) on 19.6.2023 and are available on MHA’s website: www.mha.gov.in .

Funds have been provided by the Central Government in the Central Nodal Agency (CNA) Account. States/UTs have been advised to open a subsidiary Bank account for the “Support to Poor Prisoners” Scheme at the State/UT headquarter level and have it mapped with the CNA account.

States/UTs have been advised to constitute an ‘Empowered Committee’ in every District of the State/UT, which will assess the requirement of financial support required in each eligible case for securing bail or for payment of fine, etc. Based on the decision taken by the District level Empowered Committee, funds will be drawn from the CNA account by the State/UT Headquarter level Nodal officer and the amount approved by the District level Committee will be paid to the concerned Court for payment of fine/securing bail, etc.

This was stated by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Ajay Kumar Mishra in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.