Study Reveals Free Legal Aid Reduces Jail Time for Undertrials in Maharashtra
· India · The Hindu, Indian Express
A legal aid initiative operating across eight prisons in Maharashtra has demonstrated high success in securing bail for marginalised undertrials. Implemented by Prayas and the Fair Trial Fellowship, and funded by the Azim Premji Foundation, the programme assisted over 22,000 undertrials between 2018 and 2023. Data analysis revealed that programme participants achieved an 84% success rate in bail applications across 29 districts, compared to a 26% success rate for general applicants in the same district courts between 2015 and 2020. The typical beneficiary identified by the study is a 29-year-old casual wage worker with minimal formal education. Despite these positive outcomes, researchers noted that free legal aid often arrives late, leaving many poor and vulnerable individuals detained for prolonged periods before receiving representation.
Why it matters
Timely legal aid significantly improves bail prospects for marginalised undertrials, addressing the systemic issue of overcrowded prisons filled with unconvicted poor citizens.
Read the original report — The Hindu
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