News Excerpt:

The Union government has allocated an annual fund of ₹20 crore to bail out poor prisoners languishing in prisons across the country due to financial constraints. 

About the Scheme:

• The initiative is a part of the Centre’s priority in “reaching the last mile: no one to be left behind” under which the “Support to Poor Prisoners Scheme” was launched in May last year.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has urged Heads of Prisons of all States and Union Territories to utilise the funds to provide relief to poor prisoners, who are either unable to pay the fine imposed on them or are unable to secure bail due to financial constraints. 
• As per the guidelines under the scheme, the maximum assistance would be 40000/- for undertrial prisoners and 25000/- for convicted prisoners, though a higher assistance may be approved by the state-level oversight committee.
• MHA has asked the states/UTs to constitute an “Empowered Committee” at the district level and an “Oversight Committee” at the Headquarter level for identifying prisoners who could be given the benefit of the scheme. 
• The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) was appointed as the Central Nodal Agency (CNA) for implementing the scheme. 
• The NCRB had opened an account in a nationalised bank for the “Support to Poor Prisoners Scheme” and all States and UTs were advised to open a subsidiary account for further transactions in coordination with the CNA. 
• The funds drawn will be released for paying the fine/bail surety of the prisoner directly to the concerned court.
• This scheme is 100% centrally funded, and aimed at helping prisoners belonging to socially disadvantaged and low income groups who do not have the financial means to pay their bail surety or fine amount to secure their release.

About NCRB:

• On the recommendations of the National Police Commission - 1977 (Tandon Committee), the Ministry of Home Affairs constituted a Task Force in 1985 to work out the modalities for setting up of the NCRB. 
• The Government accepted the recommendations of the Task Force and constituted the NCRB with headquarters at New Delhi in January, 1986.

Main objectives of NCRB:

• To function as a clearing house of information on crime and criminals including those operating at National and International levels so as to assist the investigators, and others in linking crimes to their perpetrators.  
• To store, coordinate and disseminate information on inter-state and international criminals from and to respective States, national investigating agencies, courts and prosecutors in India without having to refer to the Police Station records.
• To collect and process crime statistics at the National level.
• To receive from and supply data to penal and correctional agencies for their tasks of rehabilitation of criminals, their remand, parole, premature release etc.
• To coordinate, guide and assist the functioning of the State Crime Records Bureaus.
• Execute and develop computer based systems for the Central Police Organisations - and also cater to their data processing and training needs for computerization.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs merged the following crime records establishments of various Central Police Organisations with the NCRB:
  • Directorate of Coordination Police Computers (MHA)
  • Inter-State Criminals Data set up of the Central Bureau of Investigation.
  • Crime Statistics set up of the Bureau of Police Research and Development
  • Central Finger Print Bureau, Calcutta of the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The NCRB, at present, functions through:

• CCTNS
• Central Finger Print Bureau
• Statistical Branch
• Training Branch
• Data Centre and Technical Branch

Conclusion:

The "Support to Poor Prisoners Scheme" is a significant step towards ensuring access to justice for economically disadvantaged prisoners. With an annual fund of ₹20 crore, the scheme aims to provide financial assistance to those unable to pay fines or secure bail, emphasizing inclusivity and addressing systemic inequalities in the justice system.