There is an urgent need to offer proactive legal services in prison and build social support for undertrials, many of whom remain incarcerated for extended periods, noted a report by Project-39A (National Law University, Delhi), Prayas-Tata Institute of Social Sciences and Azim Premji Foundation.

The report, which was released on Saturday in Mumbai by Supreme Court Judge Justice PS Narasimha and Justice RD Dhanuka, Judge, Bombay High Court and Executive Chairperson, Maharashtra State Legal Services Authority is the outcome of a three-year programme conducted by the National Law University and Tata Institute of Social Sciences supported by the Azim Premji Foundation in collaboration with the Government of Maharashtra. The programme was conducted across eight prisons in the state to develop a successful working model to provide legal representation for under trials.

Legal representation for undertrials involves understanding multiple layers of vulnerability faced by prisoners, making it critical that social work is made an integral part of legal aid in the criminal justice system. In addition, improved documentation and record keeping have proved to help adjudication, raise the quality of lawyering and reduce delays.

The report said that a comprehensive, nationwide, prison-level database on a common platform accessible for prisons, courts and legal service authorities would help develop a deeper understanding of prisoner profiles, case status and services required by undertrials.