MHA issues fresh guidelines on 'support for poor inmates'

NOT satisfied with the initiatives taken by the state governments and Union Territory (UT) administrations in implementing the guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) with regard to supporting 'poor prisoners', the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has given fresh directives to Chief Secretaries as well as the Directors General and the Inspectors General of Prisons and Correctional Services, including setting up of an 'empowered committee' at the district level to fast track implementation of the scheme.

- MUKESH RANJAN @ New Delhi

The scheme "Support to Poor Prisoners", which was launched in 2023, is aimed at providing financial assistance to indigent prisoners whose release is delayed solely due to their inability to pay court-imposed fines or furnish bail because of economic hardship.

The MHA had issued the original guidelines and SOP to all states and UTs on June 19, 2023. Now, after over two years of the launch of the scheme, the MHA has reviewed and revised the old guidelines and Standard SOPs for its implementation.

In a letter dated December 2, a copy of which is with this newspaper, the MHA told sen-

SOP review after 2 years