1. family and parenting
2. children

Prayas Annual Report for the Period from April 2014 to March 2015
Contents
Sections
Field Interventions
Prisons
Mumbai
Mumbai Central Prison
Byculla District Prison (Male Youth Section)
Byculla District Prison (Women’s Section)
Work with Children of Prisoners - Byculla District Prison (Women’s
Section)
Thane
Thane Central Prison
Kalyan District Prison (Male Youth Section)
Kalyan District Prison (Women’s section)
Training Programmes / Awareness Sessions - Kalyan District Prison
(Women’s Section)
Work with Children of Prisoners - Kalyan District Prison (Women’s
Section)
Page Nos.
03
06
09
14
16
19
22
25
30
Rehabilitation of Women Prisoners - NGO Placement Programme
33
Juveniles in Conflict with the Law
Mumbai: Umerkhadi Observation Home
36
Women’s Institutions (Mumbai)
Protective Home (Navjeevan Mahila Vastigruha)
38
Court Based Intervention
Mumbai Court
Thane Court
45
49
Prayas Vichar Manch (Policy Advocacy Unit)
State Inter-Departmental Committee (IDC) on Prisoners
Children of Prisoners
District Inter-Departmental Sub-Committee on Prisoners
Visit to UP Prisons as per Allahabad High Court Orders
Implementation of PO Act and Services
Issues Relating to Women in Commercial Sexual Exploitation
Prison Libraries
51
55
57
61
66
67
69
1
Community Based Intervention (Dharavi) - Crime Prevention Project
and Legal Information Centre
Prayas Livelihood and Reintegration Programme
Mumbai and Thane (Work with Women)
NGO Pre-placement & Placement Programme for women
Citizenship Rights and Information on Schemes
Work with Male Youth
Youth Development Centre (YDC) and NGO Placement (Male)
73
76
95
100
Prayas Mentoring Unit
105
Bharuch Unit
Bharuch Sub Jail (Male section)
Bharuch Sub Jail (Women’s section)
Work at Police Station
After-care Work with Youth
Women’s Development Centre
106
115
124
135
140
Income Generation Unit / Prayas Production Unit
148
Staff Welfare and Staff Development
149
2
Field Interventions
Prisons (Maharashtra)
Mumbai Central Prison
Inputs and Interventions
 Legal guidance and information to clients was provided.
 Referrals to Prayas panel of lawyers for legal aid.
 Visits to police stations, courts, government organizations and NGOs for case related
intervention.
 Home/family visits to understand family situation and connect clients to their
families.
 Individual counseling.
 Arranging shelter post-release.
 Post-release follow-ups.
 Referrals to Prayas rehabilitation programme after release.
Outputs and Outcomes
 The outreach programme was extended to 115 inmates in the prison.
 Legal guidance and information was provided to 115 inmates.
 21 inmates were provided legal aid.
 60 inmates were provided individual counseling.
 4 clients were provided post-release shelter.
 5 clients were referred to the Prayas rehabilitation programme.
 Follow-up was conducted in 15 cases after release.
 30 inmates were provided with emergency financial support.
 Outreach through awareness (12 sessions on Prayas rehabilitation programme) for
260 inmates.
 Outreach through group activities (9 group activities) for 90 inmates.
 Motivational programme organized for prison inmates by Prayas and Nrityanjali (Dr.
Tushar Guha) in December 2014 for 150 inmates.
 Drawing and Composition writing competition / activity was conducted in prison in
January 2015 for 80 inmates.
 Dr. Macheswala’s De-addiction & Counseling Center was started in prison through
Masina Hospital and Prayas in February 2015 for 170 inmates. Every Friday, 11.00
a.m. to 1.00 p.m., a psychiatrist attends cases in prison.
 Legal awareness programme was conducted in prison with DLSA, sessions judge,
advocate and law faculty for 125 inmates.
 Vocational and career guidance awareness session in prison for 100 inmates
3




Inmates showed their interest in recreational programmes.
With the help of private and DLSA, 21 clients were provided legal aid.
Clients were made aware about negative effect of addictions.
Prayas provided emergency services to clients, which helped them in post release
situations and facilitate settling down in the community.
Challenges
 Being a high security prison, rehabilitation work poses challenge.

Overcrowding of the prison makes is it difficult to do systematic work.

Clients ask for the job after release, which Prayas is unable to provide at short notice.

Clients released on bail are sometimes re-arrested by police on suspicion.

Organising programmes and sessions inside prison is a challenge due to mismatch of
dates between prison authorities and organizations invited.
Future Plans

To organize vocational, career oriented and recreational sessions.

To organize session on rehabilitation with the help of Prayas Rehabilitation Unit
worker.

To focus on clients with weak family support.
4
Statistics
Broad
Services
Cases
Visits
Specific Services
Statistics
Total outreach
Home/family visits
Visits to prison
Visits to police stations
Visits to court
Visits to ICHRL /Advocates
Visits to other NGOs
Visits to government offices
Interventions Legal guidance and information
Referral for legal aid
Counselling
Support for shelter
Referred to the Prayas
Rehabilitation
Programme
Follow-up after release
Emergency support
Outreach through awareness (12 sessions on
Activities
Prayas rehabilitation programme)
Outreach through group activities (9 group
activities)
Motivational Programme was organized for
prison inmates by Prayas and Nrityanjali
Organization (Dr.Tushar Guha) on the
Occasion of New Year in the Month of
December 2014.
Drawing
and
Composition
writing
competition / activity was conducted in
the Prison in the month of January 2015
Dr. Macheswala’s D-addiction & Counseling
Center was started in Prison through Masina
Hospital & Prayas in the month of February
2015.
Legal Awareness Programme was conducted
in prison with Legal Aid Service Authority,
Session Judge, Advocate and Professors.
Vocational and Career Guidance Awareness
Session in Prison
5
115
21
95
9
26
14
9
7
115
21
60
4
5
15
30
260 Inmates
90 Inmates
150 Inmates
80 Inmates
170 Inmates
125 Inmates
100 Inmates
Byculla District Prison (Male Youth Section)
Inputs and Interventions
 Visits were made to police stations, courts, government offices and NGOs for various
interventions.
 Home/family visits in order to understand the family situation and connect inmates to
their families.
 Legal guidance and information to under trial prisoners.
 Arranging legal aid through Prayas, based on need assessment.
 Individual counseling.
 Clients were referred to the Prayas rehabilitation programme post release.
 Follow up of clients after release.
 Emergency support provided according to need.
Outputs and Outcomes
 Support was extended to 305 inmates.
 75 inmates received legal guidance and information while 11 clients were referred for
legal aid.
 120 inmates were provided individual counseling.
 6 clients were referred to Prayas rehabilitation programme.
 Follow up was conducted in 20 cases post release.
 15 clients were provided with emergency support.
 Information session on Prayas rehabilitation programme was attended by a total of 260
inmates.
 4 clients were repatriated at their request.
 Inmates showed their interest in recreational program.
 With the help of private and district legal aid authority, many clients got legal aid.
 Clients got proper knowledge through the de-addiction session conducted and became
aware about the problems related to addiction.
 Provided emergency services to clients to help them settle their economical problems
after release.
NGO visits were conducted for clients to the following NGOs (exposure visit)
 Yuva Parivartan
 Lalji Mehrotra Training Institute
 Disha (Amravati)
 VARHAD (Amravati)
 Billimoria Bell Air Hospital (Panchgani)
6
Challenges
 Being a high security prison, rehabilitation work is a challenge.
 Clients request for jobs after release which Prayas is unable to provide immediately.
 When Prayas helps in the release of clients on bail, they are sometimes ‘picked up’ by
the local police on suspicion (due to their criminal record), thus derailing the
rehabilitation process.
 Prayas is sometimes unable to arrange programmes inside prison for inmates due to
mismatch of dates between permission given by prison authorities and the dates
convenient for the organization being invited by Prayas for the session/programme.
Future Plans
 To organize recreational and informative sessions inside the prison for inmates.

To organize session on rehabilitation with the help of Rehabilitation Unit worker.

To focus on clients with weak family support.
7
Statistics
Broad Services
Specific Services
Cases
Visits
Total outreach
Home/family visits
Visits to prison
Visits to police stations
Visits to court
Visits to shelter homes
Visits to other NGOs
Legal guidance and information
Referral for legal aid
Counseling
Referred to Prayas rehabilitation programme
Follow-up after release
Emergency support
Released from prison due to family contact
Outreach through awareness sessions on Prayas
rehabilitation programme
Interventions
Activities
Statistics
Outreach through group activities total 6 group
activity. 6x5 = 30
Session
on
Personality
Development,
information and guidance
Repatriation
Phone calls to families
8
305
14
80
05
30
01
08
75
11
120
06
20
15
34
15 sessions x 10
Inmates = 150
Inmates
30 Inmates
80 Inmates
04 clients
280 phone calls
Byculla District Prison (Women’s Section)
Inputs and Interventions

Interacting with inmates and providing information, guidance and counseling.

Providing support to maintain communication with families through telephonic contact,
home visits and calling family members to the Prayas Contact Centre.

Visiting police stations as part of case interventions.

Facilitating meetings of under trial prisoners with their minor children who are kept in
children’s homes and referring children of under trials to children’s institutions.

Assisting in the repatriation process of released prisoners, as requested.

Assisting inmates to follow up with government schemes.
Sessions organized

In April 2014, Prayas organised a one-day orientation training programme for 20 inmates
through Kotak Mahindra Foundation on the importance of education and vocational
training programme for drop out children for the age group between 18-25 years.

Prayas organised a one-day training programme for 40 inmates through the Aishabai
Charitable Trust on Stress Management and Counselling.

In August 2014, Prayas organised a two-day rakhi making training programme for 35
inmates through Project Mainstream.

In September 2014, Prayas organised an awareness session on Probation of Offenders
Act 1958 and legal aid and Information for 50 inmates.

In October 2014, Prayas conducted 2 day Diya Painting training programme which was
organized in regards to Diwali Festival thru Project Mainstream for 50 inmates.

In November 2014, Prayas conducted a puppet show for children and their mothers for 20
children and 25 mothers, through Mobile Creches.

In December 2014, Prayas conducted a 2 day greeting card making training programme
through TISS students for 40 inmates; a 2 day training programme on jewellery making
(ear rings) organized through Nirmala Niketan students for 40 inmates; and 2 day training
on Mehendi design for 40 inmates.
9

In December 2014, Prayas distributed toys, chocolates and biscuits on the occasion of
Christmas. Prayas also provided educational toys to the Balwadi for 26 children.

In January 2015, Prayas conducted a 2 day training programme for greeting card making
for 25 inmates.

In January 2015, Prayas conducted a 2 day training program of flower making for 25
inmates; and conducted Legal Awareness Session for women prisoners through Majlis,
which was attended by 100 inmates.

In February 2015, Prayas conducted Legal Awareness/Legal Aid Session (Speedy Trial)
for women prisoners with the help of Mumbai DLSA for 150 inmates.

In March 2015, Prayas conducted a 4 day training program of flower making for 40
inmates; and 8 sessions of Dance Movement Therapy (twice a week) through TISS
Student for 40 inmates.
Outputs and Outcomes

Prayas responded to a total of 82 inmates.

22 families were provided with financial emergency assistance.

92 clients were provided counseling, legal guidance and follow up.

14 clients were reconnected with their families.

Assisted in the institutionalization of 5 children on the request of their mothers.

711 women were reached out through the group sessions and activities.
Challenges

The prison staff changes from time-to-time and their levels of cooperation and
receptiveness affect intervention.

It becomes difficult to locate children of Bangladeshi prison inmates as their whereabouts
are not known and they could be kept in any of the children’s institutions.

Many clients drop out as they end up taking support from other inmates who are
influential due to money and reputation.
10

It becomes challenging to rehabilitate women after release as many a time, their release
happens at a time when the Prayas worker is not in the prison. Even if the prison
department informs the social worker, it is challenging to reach the prison immediately.
Future Plans

To provide training for inmates towards helping them to develop their skills and get
income from the same.

To focus on single women and women with children without family support.

To focus on first-time offenders.

Session on foster care will be organized once in six months.

Any one session among the three (General awareness session / training programme / legal
awareness) once a month.
11
Statistics
Broad services
Specific services
Statistics
with Total Outreach
New cases
Old cases
Phone calls
Interventions
Counselling, Legal guidance and follow up
Individual counselling
Legal Aid and Legal support
Client reconnected with family
Release on Personal Bond and bail
Acquittal
Emergency financial assistance
Institutionalization of children
Follow up after release (after care)
Follow-up regarding children in institutions
Follow-up regarding children in family
Visits to Court
Visits
Visit to DLSA
Visits to Police Station
Visits to NGOs
Home visits
Visits to Child Welfare Committee
Visits to school
Sessions
and In the month of April 2014 conducted 1 day
orientation training programme for 20 inmates
training
thru Kotak Mahendra Foundation on information
programmes
about importance of education and vocational
conducted
training programme for drop out children for the
age group between 18-25 years and it is free of
cost. This information was shared to the inmates
for their children.
Conducted 1 day training program for 40 inmates
thru Aishabai Charitable Trust of Stress
Management and Counselling. They also provide
vocational training for free of cost.
In the month of August 2014 conducted 2 days
Rakhi making training program for Raksha
Bandhan for 35 inmates thru Project Mainstream.
In the month of September 2014 conducted a
Awareness Session on Probation of Offenders Act
1958 and Information and Awareness Session on
Work
cases
12
82
53
29
200
92
53
13
14
7
1
22
5
27
4
11
37
15
10
12
32
11
9
20 inmates
40 inmates
35 inmates
50 inmates
Legal Aid and Information.
In the month of October 2014 conducted 2 day
Diya Painting training program which was
organized in regards to Diwali Festival thru
Project Mainstream.
In the month of November 2014 Prayas social
workers through Mobile Creche conducted a
puppet show for children and their mothers.
In the month of December 2014 conducted a 2 day
Greeting card making training program which was
organized in regards to New Year thru TISS
students
In the month of December 2014 conducted a 2 day
training programme on Jewellery Making (Ear
rings) which was organized in regards to festive’s
thru Nirmala Niketan Students
In the month of December 2014 conducted a 2 day
training on Mehandi which was organized in
regards to festive.
In the month of December 2014 distributed Toys,
chocolates and biscuits in regard to Christmas.
Also provided educational toys to the Balwadi.
In the month of January 2015 conducted a 2 day
training programme for Greeting card
In the month of January 2015 conducted a 2 day
training program of Flower making.
In the month of January 2015 conducted Legal
Awareness Session for women prisoners which
thru Majlis, 100 inmates attended the session
In the month of February 2015 conducted Legal
Awareness/ Legal Aid Session (Trial And Speed
Trial) for women prisoners thru DLSA.
In the month of March 2015 conducted a 4 day
training program of Flower making.
In the month of March 2015 conducted Dance
therapy 8 Session (twice a week) for women
prisoners thru TISS Student.
13
50 inmates
25 women
inmates and
20 children.
40 inmates
40 inmates
40 inmates
26 children
25 inmates
25 inmates
100 inmates
150 inmates
40 inmates
25 inmates
Work with Children of Prisoners - Byculla District Prison (Women’s Section)
Inputs and Interventions
 Visits to police stations, schools, hospitals, children’s institution, NGOs and DWCD
office.
 Visits to the CWC at Mankhurd and Dongri.
 Contact established with families through telephonic contact and home visits.
 Providing rationing, medical and educational support as per need.
Outputs and Outcomes
 Prayas responded to a total of 33 children of prisoners.
 5 visits were made to the various children’s institutions.
 19 home visits were made.
 3 visits were made to Dongri CWC and 4 visits were made to Mankhurd CWC.
 Counselling was provided to 33 children.
 15 children were provided with emergency assistance and 18 children was provided
medical assistance.
 24 children were provided educational support and 9 families were provided rationing
support.
 10 families were provided with legal guidance.
 Mulakat was arranged for 5 children with their mothers.
 Follow up of Bal Sangopan Scheme for 2 children.
Challenges
 There is no facility for face to face mulakat between children and their mothers, which
can be emotionally disturbing for the children and their mothers.
 Mulakat between mothers and children from other states is not possible.
 None of the children have received the benefit of the Bal Sangopan Scheme
Future Plans
 Puppet show and magic show will be arranged once in six months.
 Educational and awareness programme once in two months.
 Regular follow up of Bal Sangopan Scheme.
14
Statistics
Broad Services
Specific Services
Statistics
Total Outreach
Old Cases
New Cases
Home visits conducted for children of prisoners
Visits to police stations
Visits to DWCD
Visits to schools
Visits to children institutions
Visits to NGOs
Visits to hospital
Visits to CWC, Dongri
Visits to CWC, Mankhurd
Visit to Court
Visit to prison
Counselling
Interventions
Telephonic contact with families
Provided emergency assistance
Provided medical support
Provided legal guidance
Bal Sangopan Scheme
Mulakat arranged for children
Children provided with educational support
Rations provided to the client’s family
Sessions
and In the month of September 2014 conducted a
Awareness Session on Probation of Offenders
training
Act 1958 and Information and Awareness
programmes
Session on Legal Aid and Information.
conducted
In the month of November 2014 Prayas social
workers through Mobile Creche conducted a
puppet show for children and their mothers.
In the month of December 2014 distributed
Toys, chocolates and biscuits in regard to
Christmas.
Also provided educational toys to the Balwadi.
Work with cases
15
33
18
15
19
3
4
8
5
6
3
4
2
64
33
33
24
20
10
2
5
15
9
50 inmates
25 women inmates
and 20 children.
26 children
Thane
Thane Central Prison
Inputs and Interventions
 Legal guidance and information provided.
 Follow up of cases to facilitate bail.
 Visits to courts, police station, NGOs and government offices.
 Cases referred to the District Legal Services Authority.
 Home visits and counseling to families.
 Visits to Observation Home and Child Welfare Committee.
 Repatriation at the request of the clients
 Meetings with government officials
 Exposure visits as part of the aftercare programme for clients.
Outputs and Outcomes
 Outreach to 201 clients.

62 home visits, 114 court visits and 12 NGO visits.

77 prison visits and 26 police station visits.

3 clients repatriated and connected with his family.

15 cases followed up for bail.

1 case referred to Prayas Youth Development Centre (YDC).

38 families were provided counseling.

12 clients referred for legal aid to the DLSA.

177 clients received legal guidance and information.

The social worker conducted meetings with the following government officials:

Superintendent and Dy. Superintendent of Thane Central Prison – 12 meetings

Member Secretary of DLSA – 18 meetings.

Probation Officer – 14 meetings.
16

Zilla Parishad Officer – 7 meetings.

Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojana Officer – 7 meetings.
These meetings were conducted to understand if there are any policies of their departments that
could be of some help to the prisoners.
Challenges
 Staff shortage in the field – the prison worker had to be shifted to aftercare work due
to increasing workload of aftercare. The court worker is holding additional
responsibility of the prison worker, for the time being.
 The prisoners are not produced in the court on a regular basis, thus delaying their
trials.
 Re-arrest after release from prison by local police due to their criminal record.
Future Plans
 Improving communication with Principal Judge, Thane, for release of under trial
prisoners granted bail on PR Bond.
 Highlighting the issue of non-production of under trial prisoners on their court dates
by the police with the office of the Police Commissioner, Thane and SP (Rural),
Thane).
 Arrange a session on Probation of Offenders Act, 1958 in Thane Central Prison.
17
Statistics
Broad
Services
Agency Visits
Interventions
Meetings
Statistics
Interventions
Total outreach
Prisons
Home
Police station
Court
NGOs
District Probation Officer
Samaj Kalyan office
Zilla Parishad
Juvenile Justice Board/Observation Home
Legal Aid
Legal advice / guidance and information
Follow up bail process
Family Counseling
201
77
62
26
114
12
11
7
7
3
12
177
15
38
Repatriation
3
Referred to Youth Development Centre
(YDC)
One session in Prison – Presenting Prayas
work and after care work
Superintendent and Dy. Superintendent of
Prison
Member Secretary of DLSA
Probation Officer
Zilla Parishad Officer
Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojana Officer
1
18
120 Inmates
12
18
14
7
7
Kalyan District Prison (Male Youth Section)
Inputs and Interventions
 Home visits to reconnect youth with their families and to facilitate rebuilding
relationships.
 Support to clients to enable access to legal aid services through free legal aid or through
Prayas panel of advocates.
 Discussion with prisoners about the benefit of Probation of Offenders Act, 1958 towards
rehabilitation.
 Visits to police stations and follow-up with the advocates regarding the progress of trial
and bail matters and preventive detention cases.
 Visits to courts and follow up with judiciary regarding cases and rapport building with
them.
 Visits to Observation Home (Bhiwandi), and legal aid and mulakat arranged with
families of cases identified as juveniles wrongly kept in prison.
 Follow up and services provided (police station visit, court visit etc.) in cases referred by
prison staff, RCJJ (a field action project of TISS working with juveniles in conflict with
law) and other NGOs.
 Visits to Taluka Legal Aid Committee at Kalyan, Bhiwandi, Ulhasnagar for free legal
aid and legal aid programme in prison Youth Barrack.
Outputs and Outcomes
 270 clients were reached out to.
 55 families were provided with emergency assistance.
 Medical support provided to 11 families.
 Educational support provided for 4 clients.
 Legal aid through Prayas to 12 inmates
 Free legal aid through DLSA to 8 inmates.
 2 cases referred to Prayas Youth Development Centre (YDC)
 13 cases were referred through prison (medical, tracing home, legal aid)
 150 visits to courts (Kalyan, Thane, Ulhasnagar, Uran, and Bhiwandi courts)
 22 visits to JJB Bhiwandi.
 Session on drawing on April 4, 2014 - 56 inmates participated.
 Awareness session on TB on May 30, 2014 - 49 inmates participated.
 Eye Camp on September 17, 2014 - 32 inmates participated.
 Awareness session on Probation of offender Act 1956 - 46 inmates participated.
 Monthly session on Prayas - 25 inmates participate (on an average).
 Computer training center in male and female section on 26 January
 Awareness session on skin diseases and re-productive health - 1
19
Challenges
 Home visits in far off places takes a lot of time and energy.
 Courts are spread across the district in far off locations – Uran, Bhiwandi, Kalyan,
Ulhasnagar, Thane city, thus taking a lot of time and energy.
 Working with inmates whose families live in other parts of the country is a challenge as
they lack family support and do have not a permanent residence, where they can be
contacted after their release.
 Organising sessions is sometimes a challenge as it involves coordinating between the
resource person and the prison staff.
Future Plans
 Strengthening the network of organisations that can provide help in terms of home visits
and family tracing.
 Strengthening the network of lawyers in courts.
 Strengthening the ties with shelter homes to allow Prayas clients to stay after release from
prison.
20
Statistics
Broad services Specific services
Work with cases Total outreach
Visits conducted Home visits
Visits to prison
Visits to police stations
Visits to court
Visits to Bhiwandi JJB
Visits to NGOs
Telephonic contact with families
Interventions
Provided free legal aid
Activity
Meetings
Provided legal aid through Prayas
Referred cases to YDC
Placement of clients in training institutes
Cases referred by prison staff (medical, tracing
home, legal aid)
Provided emergency support
Provided medical support
Provided educational support
Session on drawing
Awareness session on TB
Eye camp
Awareness session on Probation of offender Act
1958
Monthly session on Prayas work
Attended meeting of the Prison Advisory
Committee on 20th August 2014.
21
Statistics
270
75
50
23
150
22
27
230
10
15
3
12
18
55
11
4
56 inmates
49 inmates
32 inmates
46 inmates
150 inmates (25
inmates per
month)
Kalyan District Prison (Women’s Section)
Inputs and Interventions
 Visits were conducted to hospitals, police stations, government homes, courts, prison and
NGOs.
 Contacts were established with families through home visits and telephonic calls.
 Individual counseling done as per need.
 Emergency supports provided as per need.
 Legal guidance and Legal aid provided
 Follow-up done with the lawyers.
 Post-release rehabilitation work done.
Outputs and Outcomes
 A total of 107 clients were reached out to.
 Counseling was provided to 54 inmates.
 Rehabilitation process in progress with 16 clients.
 Home visits were paid to 19 inmates
 Emergency assistance provided to 7 clients.
 Legal aid provided to 5 inmates.
 Regular follow-up with lawyers was done in 21 cases.
Challenges
 Currently, the network of lawyers for women’s cases is limited and Prayas has been
facing problems with the functioning of free legal aid scheme.
 Suitable agencies in the rural Thane and Raigad districts for placement of women
released from prison remains a challenge.
 Women who do not have family support are reluctant to live in shelter homes after their
release from prison and hence often choose the option of living with associates who they
have come in contact with in prison.
 Women are sometimes released from prison after 6.00 pm and they may not have
information about where to go for shelter. Presently, the prison administration does not
have a system to escort the women to a safe shelter. Prayas social workers are some time
called after 6.00 or 7.00 pm to arrange for shelter for released women. Complying with
these requests may not always be possible depending on where the social worker is and
what other are the responsibility have to be met with.
Future Plans
 To strengthen the network of lawyers who can take up cases referred by Prayas.
 To identify concerns related to free legal aid scheme and raise these before the Kalyan
District Legal Services Authority and other fora.
 To conduct more sessions with women in prison towards providing them with
information about shelters and to facilitate group discussions in order to clarify their
doubts about shelter homes, provide information and help to prepare them for release and
to make suitable choices for themselves.
22

To work with prison administration towards exploring the establishment of a system that
a women who needs support at the time of release can avail of.
23
Statistics
Broad Services
Specified Services
Work with cases Total Outreach
Old Cases
New Cases
Visits conducted Home visits
Visits to police stations
Visits to prison
Visits to courts
Visits to NGOs
Visits to Hospital
Visits to government homes
Counselling
Interventions
Telephonic contact with families
Provided emergency assistance
Provided medical support
Provided legal guidance
Provided Legal Aid
Follow-up with lawyer
Rationing support provided to the client’s
family
Post-release rehabilitation
24
Statistics
107
69
38
19
11
28
15
9
3
8
54
48
7
25
5
21
2
16
Training Programmes / Awareness Sessions - Kalyan District Prison (Women’s Section)
Activities conducted
 Drama Therapy conducted in April, 2014 for 150 inmates.
 Information session on TB conducted by Krid Association in May, 2014 for 148
inmates.
 Distribution of kits (toiletries) in May, 2014 to 150 inmates.
 Informative session by the Karjat CWC Chairperson about rules and procedures of
the Child Welfare Committee and facilities for children in August, 2014 for 60
inmates.
 Calcium check-up camp for inmates and prison staff was organized by Vardha Mahila
Bahu Udheshiya Sanstha in September, 2014. Medicines were also provided to 60
inmates and 80 staff members.
 Session on making greeting cards out of waste material conducted by TISS students
in September, 2014 for 40 inmates.
 Informative session regarding government schemes of the Department of Women &
Child Development and Probation of Offenders Act was organized in September,
2014 for 50 inmates.
 Skin check-up camp was organized by Satyamol Foundation. Medicines were also
provided for 50 inmates and 5 children.
 Clay therapy session organised on stress management by Khulla Aasman in October
2014 for 20 inmates.
 Puppet show was organised for children by Mobile Creches in November 2014 for 10
children’s with their mothers.
 Organised session on stress management by Shakhya Mahila Margadarshan Kendra
in November 2014 for 20 inmates.
 Organised legal awareness session by Prayas Social Worker in December 2014 for 60
inmates.
 Organised Health Session on Hepatitis by United Way in December 2014 for 60
inmates.
 Organised Activity on Best out of Waste by Prayas Social Worker in January 2015
for 20 inmates.
 Organised Gynaecology Camp thru FPA – Bhiwandi in January 2015 for 60 inmates
Outputs and Outcomes
 Regular sessions and short term training programme has had a positive impact on the
environment inside the women's session in the prison. This has helped to reach out to a
larger number of women prisoners in terms of what Prayas stands for and its services.
25

There was no space for women inmates for their activities for themselves for their
children. Prayas, with the help of other NGOs and Kalyan District Prisons Officials, had
a meeting to utilise the space inside the barrack of women’s section. Prayas identified
donors to build a shed for conducted sessions, training programme and other activities for
women inmates and their children. Prayas been successful in getting the shed built, with
the support and cooperation of prison authorities and NGOs.

Prayas approached an NGO named I Lead Foundation to support computer training
programme inside Kalyan District Prison (women and youth). I Lead Foundation has
provided computers for Kalyan District Prison for both the barracks (women and youth).
Yuva Parivartan is conducting a regular certificate course in computer training.

A women inmate conducts literacy classes for interested women inmates. To support this
programme, Prayas has provided educational material (pen, note-books, text-books,
colours, drawing books etc.).
Challenges
 Difficulty in developing co-ordination between the prison system, Prayas and the resource
agencies.

To sustain the interest of the women prisoners to avoid the dropouts.

Changing the negative environment in prison through educational activities and encourage
inmates to join the open schooling system, is difficult as non availability of full time
teacher in women’s section and changed policy of state regarding adult education affects
the aim to bring the objective of ‘Bandishala’ in existence.

It is difficult to maintain continuity, quantity and quality of the programmes for the
sustainability of the activities due to lack of sufficient and skilled manpower.

Lack of citizenship documents to apply for the government schemes run by different
departments.

Due to the examination centres being located outside prisons, need to bring centres of open
schooling in custody.

Duplication of orientation of organizations regarding programs and delay in
implementation affects the interest of inmates.
26
Future Plans
 Explore the suitable resources to impart the training needs for the inmates.
 Explore to create a scope for hobbies and skills of inmates and to conduct regular hobby
classes for the women.
 Provide income generation opportunities for the women released from the prison, based on
the trainings imparted inside the prison.
 Encourage women inmates to become a part of program through group activities within the
prison.
 Collect information about the organizations working on income generation of the
marginalized groups in Thane district.
 Identify the training needs of the inmates.
 To avail the benefit of training programs and educational facilities of government agencies
for the under trial women prisoners.
 Co-ordinate and arrange the skill training programs with the help of presently available
resource agencies in the field of income generation for the marginalized groups.
27
Statistics
Broad Services
Specific Services
Statistics
888 inmates
Work with cases Total Outreach
Drama therapy conducted in the month of 150 inmates
\Activities
April, 2014
conducted
Information session on TB was conducted 148 inmates
by Krid Association in the month of May,
2014.
Distribution of kits (toiletries) in the month 150 inmates
of May, 2014
Informative session by Karjat CWC
60 inmates
Chairperson
about
Child
Welfare
Committee’s rules, procedures and
facilities for children in the month of
August, 2014.
Calcium check-up camp for inmates was
60 inmates
organised
by
Vardha
Mahila
&
Bahuuddheshiya Sanstha in the month of
80 staff
September, 2014. Medicines were also
members
provided.
Organized greeting cards making out of
40 inmates
waste material by TISS students in the
month of September, 2014.
Informative session on DWCD schemes
50 inmates
and Probation of Offenders Act, 1958 was
organized for in the month September,
2014.
Skin check-up camp was organized by
50 inmates
Satyamol Foundation in the month of and 5 children
September 2014. Medicines were also
provided.
Clay session was organised on stress
20 inmates
management by Khulla Aasman in the
month of October 2014.
Puppet show was organised for children by 10 children’s
Mobile Creches in the month of November
with their
2014.
mothers
Organised session on stress management by
20 inmates
Shakhya Mahila Margadarshan Kendra in
the month of November 2014.
Organised Legal Awareness Session by
60 inmates
Prayas Social Worker in the month of
28
December 2014.
Organised Health Session on Hepatitis by
United Way in the month of December
2014.
Organised Activity on Best out of Waste by
Prayas Social Worker in the month of
January 2015.
Organised Gynaecology Camp thru FPA –
Bhiwandi in the month of January 2015.
Visits conducted Prison visits
to the arrange NGO visits
session
Hospital visits
Court visits
Home visits
Meeting with Thane District Collector
Meeting
29
60 inmates
20 inmates
60 inmates
34 visits
24 visits
6 visits
5 visit
6 visits
2 meeting
Work with Children of Prisoners - Kalyan District Prison (Women’s Section)
Inputs and Interventions
 Visits to police stations, schools, hospitals, children’s institution, NGO and child
protection office
 Visits to the Child Welfare Committees at Bhiwandi, Karjat, and Mankhurd.
 Contact established with families through telephonic contact and home visits.
 Counseling and emergency support provided.
 Rationing, medical and educational support provided as per need.
Outputs and Outcomes
 Prayas responded to a total of 60children of prisoners.
 8 visits were made to the various children’s institutions.
 41 home visits were made.
 10 visits were made to Bhiwandi CWC, 5 visits were made to Karjat CWC and 4 visits
were made to Mankhurd CWC.
 Counseling was provided to 25 children.
 6 children were provided with emergency assistance and 6 children were provided
medical assistance.
 4 children were provided educational support and 9 families were provided rationing
support.
 Mulakat was arranged for 5 children with their mothers.
Challenges
 Linking children with the ‘Bal Sangopan’ scheme (foster care scheme which provides
financial assistance to children of single parents) implemented by the DWCD, GoM.
 Lack of clarity about who is responsible for maintaining health/ Immunization card of
every child in prison - the anganwadi worker who runs the ICDS anganwadi or the prison
authorities.
 Arranging regular meetings (mulakat) between children left outside and their mother in
prison.
 Organising sessions for the Members of the CWC and other stakeholders on children’s
issues.
 Networking with the organisations working in the rural areas for the smooth functioning
and protection of children from the rural area.
 Working with the state and the district level authorities around issues of children of
prisoners left outside.
30
Future Plans
 Visits to children living outside Mumbai/Thane region to assess their situation.
 Organising programmes and activities for children in prison with their mothers and for
the children left outside.
 Organising health camp and immunization for the children in prison (to ensure
maintaining health/immunization card of every child)
 Arranging awareness sessions with mothers in prison about the importance of education.
 Organising workshop for the members of the CWC on issues relating to children of
prisoners.
 Linking children with the ‘Bal Sangopan’ scheme.
31
Statistics
Broad Services
Specific Services
Work with cases Total Outreach
Old cases
New case
Home visits conducted for Children of
Prisoners
Visits to police stations
Visits to courts
Visits to schools
Visits to children’s institutions
Visits to NGOs
Visits to hospital
ICDS Visit
Visits to CWC, Karjat
Visits to CWC, Bhiwandi
Visits to CWC, Mankhurd
Visit to prison
Visit to KDMC and phone call
Visits to child protection office
Contact over the phone to families / CWC /
police station out of Mumbai
Counselling
Interventions
Telephonic contact with families
Provided emergency assistance
Provided medical support
Provided legal guidance
Follow-up regarding case
Mulakat arranged for children
Children provided with educational support
Rations provided to the client’s family
32
Statistics
60
50
10
41
10
05
06
08
17
17
02
05
10
04
30
17
02
40
25
60
06
06
-15
05
04
09
Rehabilitation of Women Prisoners - NGO Placement Programme
Inputs and Interventions
During the reporting period, four women showed interest for the NGO placement out of which 2
were released from Byculla District Prison and 2 from Kalyan District Prison. After their release
from the prison, they came to Prayas to meet the social worker as they required financial support
to tackle emergencies such as rationing, school fees for their children, etc. For this, they were
willing to work and did not want to use their previous contacts.
Case 1
Deepa (name changed) was arrested in a cheating case as she used to work as a broker with
regard to sale and purchase of rooms, renting of rooms, etc. During her stay in the Byculla
District Prison, she met the Prayas social worker and thus after her release from the prison, she
got in touch with the social worker. After her release, Prayas provided her emergency support
and placed in Apnalaya at their day-care centre. Deepa actively participated in the activities of
Apnalaya and also worked in their income generation unit where she learnt to make paper plates
and also sold them in the nearby areas. She used to earn Rs 5/- for selling one packet of paper
plates. Besides this, she would sell clothes, and take orders of meals for parties. For 15 days, she
provided tiffin to one person living in her neighbour.
After 3 months of work in Apnalaya, she was given a contact of Divine Foundation by
Apnalaya's supervisor, where there was a vacancy of an outreach worker. After consulting the
Prayas social worker, Deepa approached Divine Foundation and got selected for the job. There
was a break in her job due to the organization stopping their work for some time. Once the work
resumed, she again joined work and draws a salary of Rs.7500/-. Due to her hard work and
promptness she completes the assigned work within 3-4 hours and then concentrates on selling
dresses, kurties and sarees.
Case 2
Sheela (name changed) was lodged in the Women’s Section of Byculla District for 2 years in a
murder case and she was finally acquitted by the court. Her 3 daughters were being taken care of
by her her husband and sister-in-law during her stay in the prison. With regard to her children
Prayas social worker intervened and provided support counseling to Sheela's family.
After her release from the prison, Sheela contacted Prayas for assistance with regard to
employment. During her stay in the prison, she had actively participated in all the training
sessions organized by Prayas. She had also completed the fabric painting course inside prison
and showed interest in such type of work for income generation after her release. Due to the long
period of separation from their mother, her daughters wanted to spend time with her and gain her
attention. Since both the children’s school and tuition class timings were different, there arose a
need for Sheela to be at home to attend to both her daughters. In such a situation, there was no
33
possibility of her going out for work or training. Her elder daughter would beat the younger girl
in the absence of the mother, whereby Sheela decided to stay at home and acquire some skill
which would be helpful in income generation. Through Prayas’s help, she has been enrolled for a
tailoring course and Sheela is taking keen interest in the same.
Challenges
 Women with children find it difficult to go for training/placement as their financial
requirements cannot be taken care of by the monthly stipend.
 The low educational background can act as a barrier towards the placement programme, as
the NGO sector requires some basic level of education.
 Women without stable shelter prefer to stay with associations made in prison rather than
choose the option of shelter homes, which makes it difficult to place them in NGOs.
 Women with long-term ailments are not able to sustain in the Placement Programme due to
recurring health problems.
Future Plans
 Efforts will be made to strengthen the network of NGOs willing to place clients in the
health sector.
 Women with children will be provided additional support to sustain them in the
Placement programme.
 Upcountry placements will be strengthened for women from outside the state.
34
Statistics
Broad services
Total outreach
Specific services
Statistics
14
NGO Placement
5
pre placement
3
Dropout from placement
2
Acquired a job
1
20
Visits conducted Home visits
NGO visits
16
Counselling
14
Interventions
Provided assistance for shelter repair, business
4
support and fund raising
35
Juveniles in Conflict with the Law
Mumbai: Umerkhadi Observation Home
Inputs and Interventions
 Cases referred to the social worker by JJB and self referral up by Prayas social
worker.
 Legal aid and guidance provided through Prayas panel of lawyers and Mumbai
DLSA.
 Submitted the social enquiry reports to the JJB, at the request of the JJB.
 Provided emergency assistance to families of JCL, as per the need.
 Visits to NGOs, observation home, vocational training institutes, and police
stations as per need.
 Home visits to assess the situation of the families and to reconnect families with
children.
 Provided stipend and educational support as per the need.
Outputs and Outcomes
 A total of 267 children were benefited through the Prayas Programme.
 Home visits were paid to 57 families and 17 NGO visits.
 51 cases were referred to the social worker by the JJB and 41 cases idenified
through Prayas self referral.
 Legal aid was provided through referral to DLSA in 15 cases and 24 cases were
referred to the Prayas panel of lawyers.
 19 clients were provided with emergency assistance.
 44 social enquiry reports were submitted to the JJB.
 79 children were provided with legal guidance
 20 clients were provided with educational support.
 20 clients were provided with stipend every month.
Challenges
 Working with juveniles in conflict with law with repeat offence background,
especially those into substance abuse is very challenging due to high drop-out
rate.
 Exploring de-addition centres in Mumbai. There is no NGO in Mumbai providing
free de-addition as most of them charge for the de-addiction treatment.
 Staff shortage to pay home visits.
Future Plans
 To work towards exploring shelter options for clients without family support.
 Plan to conduct awareness session on addiction problem.
 Workshop on career guidance and relationships
36
Statistics
Broad Services
Specified Services
Work with cases Total Outreach
New Cases
Cases referred by JJB
Self-referral cases
Follow-up cases (old cases)
Visits conducted Home visits
Visit to NGOs
Visit to vocational training centres
Visit to police stations
Provided legal aid through DLSA
Interventions
Provided legal aid through Prayas
Provided legal guidance
Provided emergency financial assistance
Submitted Social Investigation Reports to JJB
Provided educational support
Provided stipend to trainees for every month
37
Statistics
267
90
51
41
85
57
17
21
6
15
24
79
19
44
20
20
Women’s Institutions (Mumbai)
Protective Home (Navjeevan Mahila Vastigruha)
Prayas’s work at the Protective Home for women rescued from commercial sexual
exploitation is based on reunion with the family, strengthening family ties, or work
towards economic self-reliance of the client or a combination of these strategies, based on
the needs of each case. If the worker and the client mutually agree that reintegration
within the family is a viable option, efforts are directed towards linking up with the
family. In case of women from outside Mumbai, Prayas networks with NGOs from the
respective district where the family is based, to work out a rehabilitation plan, which may
include repatriation and livelihood generation.
Some cases are referred by the ITPA Special Court magistrate to Prayas when the rescued
women express a need for support with regard to training, employment, educational
support for their children, emergency financial assistance to family, etc. In these cases,
the magistrate passes an order of referral to Prayas with regard to their rehabilitation.
Lately, many such cases have been referred by the magistrate who is quite sensitive to
this issue. Besides this, cases are also referred by NGOs, ex-clients, Prayas social
workers, etc.
Inputs and Interventions
 Regular counseling with clients to reduce their stress, improve their ability to deal
with their crisis situations, and identify their immediate needs.
 Making home visits to tracing the families of clients, maintain follow-up with
families, and gather information about the client’s family background, crisis
situation, etc.
 Visits to the Special ITPA Court to report to the magistrate about Prayas’s view
with regard to rehabilitation of clients and inform her about the progress in




clients’ rehabilitation.
Visits to shelter homes for admission of clients after they are discharged from the
Protective Home (in case they are in need of shelter) and maintain follow-up with
the institutional authorities regarding the rehabilitation of clients.
Hospital visits for clients’ hospitalization and providing medical assistance.
Networking with NGOs outside Mumbai to trace clients’ families, developing
resources to meet their immediate needs, and maintain follow-up with them.
Visits to local NGO for mobilizing resources for clients.
38
Work with cases
Initially, the worker interacts with the residents and tries to understand their background
and assess their rehabilitation needs. In the case of women from Mumbai or nearby areas,
home visits are made to assess the family situation.
Services provided
Home visits are an important component of service delivery whereby the social worker is
able to gain information about the social and financial condition of the family, the
relationship between the family members, their opinion about the client, willingness to
accept her and assist in her future rehabilitation. This is followed by guidance and
counseling of the client about the alternatives available for employment and training;
legal rights; services available with regard to health, children, shelter, government
schemes, etc. If the family is unwilling to accept the client or the family is found to be
unsuitable, the client is provided temporary shelter while she is placed for training or
employment in an NGO (as per the Prayas NGO Placement Programme).
If the family is willing to accept the client (and the client is willing to return to the
family), Prayas works with the family and provides emergency financial assistance (such
as provision of rations for a period of six months to 1 year with a minimum amount Rs.
1500/- p.m.), educational support to the client’s children or siblings (such as paying
school fees, tuition fees, provision of books, uniforms, bags, bus/train pass, etc), family
counseling or any other support depending on the needs of the family and clients.
In cases where the clients or any family member is under medical treatment, referral to
doctors/hospitals, medical trusts, provision of medicines, nutritious diet, etc. is also
extended. In the case of outstation clients, Prayas networks with NGOs in the local area
towards repatriation, arranges for NGO placement and follows up the case till the person
settles down in the area.
Outputs and Outcomes
 Families accept clients and the relations between them improve over time.
 During their stay in Navjeevan Mahila Vastigruha, 5 clients appeared for their
Xth exams through N.I.O.S.
 After release from the institution, 10 clients enrolled into NGO Placement
programme and willing to partner with Prayas towards their rehabilitation.
39


Prayas’ intervention with the clients’ families and providing emergency assistance
has helped the clients to overcome their family issues.
Networking with NGOs has proved very useful in the client rehabilitation process
and in resolving their crisis situations.
Challenges
 Most cases referred by the court are local women whereby a home visit is made to
assess the family situation. During the home visit, it is sometimes difficult to
assess as to whether the members present are the woman’s family members or
traffickers / pimps in the guise of the family.
 Difficulties are faced to trace families as many clients’ families live on rent basis





and the contact number at times is also incorrect.
A major challenge to the social worker is involving the clients in the rehabilitation
process because it is difficult to build trust with clients. Prayas is unable to meet
clients’ expectations for high salaried jobs, financial support to pay house rent or
medical expenses for major ailments, loans for personal use and for initiating
small scale business, intervention into their personal affairs, etc.
Working with clients without family support is a challenge. Arranging shelter for
the clients in shelter homes is a challenge as many shelter homes refuse to admit
Prayas clients on some ground or the other.
Women with children and no male support expect Prayas to get their children
admitted into private schools and bear the expenses for a long period of time. The
stipend amount paid to the clients during the NGO Placement proves insufficient
in cases of clients with large families.
It is a challenge to maintain regular follow-up with the repatriated up-country
cases.
The issue of guardianship in the cases of orphan children poses a problem
especially in the rehabilitation process.
Future Plans
 Monthly 2 visits per client with regard to follow-up for assistance in any family
crisis situation.
 Providing rationing support to clients.
 Three court visits per month for follow-up with magistrates.
 Providing house rent to clients.
 Visit to Navjeevan Mahila Vastigruha at least twice a week.
40
Statistics
Broad Services
Work with cases
Referral of cases
Visits conducted
Interventions
Meetings
Specific Services
Total outreach
New Cases
Old Cases
Referred by the court
Referred by other NGOs
Picked up by the Prayas worker
Home visits
Visits to court
Visits to hospital
Visits to NGOs
Follow up with family
Counselling
Medical support
Provided monthly rations and emergency
assistance to mother
Provided travelling monthly allowance
Provided house rent
Case management meeting with NMV
Networking with other NGOs
41
Statistics
76
45
31
25
02
49
21
12
08
18
08
78
07
27
33
03
03
08
Work with Children of Women in Commercial Sexual Exploitation
Help was extended to the clients’ children by paying their tuition fees. For example, a
woman was assisted with regard to institutionalization of her two children. Since she was
in dire financial crisis, Prayas provided Rs.1000/- for travelling to meet her children in
the institution and to take some eatables for them. Later on, she managed these expenses
from the stipend which she gets every month from Prayas. Another child studying in the
tenth standard was given a bus and train pass, while six children were provided
notebooks.
Inputs and Interventions
 Emergency assistance such as medical support, shelter, providing rations and
educational support as per their need.
 Referrals for short and long term vocational training courses.
 Home visits to assess the situation of the families and to reconnect families with
children.
 Stipend and educational support as per need.
 Visits to police stations, schools, hospitals, children’s institution, NGOs and
DWCD as per need.
 Visits to the Child Welfare Committee with regard to institutionalisation of
children.
 Acquiring birth certificates of children.
 Follow up with DWCD to get benefit of Bal Sangopan Yojana.
 Arranging shelter/day care centre for children.
Outputs and Outcomes
 Prayas responded to a total of 54 children from the women institutions.
 1 child was admitted into Manav Seva Sangh.
 13 home visits made to understood client family situation and finding schools
nearby their homes.
 8 children admitted to tuition class.
 Counseling provided to 57 children for problems faced in regard to schooling,
health, shelter, personal problems, etc.
 3 children provided with emergency assistance and 4 children provided medical
assistance.
 21 children provided educational support and 3 families provided rationing
support.
 3 children provided special nutrition.
 Hostel and day care centre fees given for 2 children.
 06 school visits for obtaining concession in school fees.
 Computer fees provided to 2 children for MS-CIT course.
Challenges
 Demands for financial support in crisis situations which occur on a regular basis.
 Lack of time for networking with NGOs for client needs.
42
 Lack of documents pose a hindrance in enrolment for benefit of schemes.
 High school fees of children studying in private schools.
 Some children do not stay with their mothers due to relationship problem with the
mother. Thus, it is a challenge for the worker to improve the relations between the
mother and children.
 In emergency situations, Prayas is not always able to arrange money for clients.
Future Plans
 Three home visits to Vasai, Kurla and Ulhasanagar for collecting data of children
for the purpose of the Bal Sangopan Yojana.
 Follow-up visits to the Department of Women & Child Development (DWCD)
and Child Welfare Committee for enrolling three children for the Bal Sangopan
Yojana through the department.
 Finding an organization imparting training in tailoring for one client residing at
Chembur, Kurla.
 Visit to BMC ward office for acquiring the Birth Certificate of one child.
43
Statistics
Broad Services
Specific Services
Statistics
Work with cases Total Outreach
New cases
Old cases
Counselling
Interventions
Provided emergency assistance
Provided medical support
Children provided with educational support
Rations provided to the client’s family
Provided shelter fees
Provided computer fees
Institutionalization of children
Provided bus/train pass to the child
Provided school fees
Provided tuition fees
Visits conducted Home visits
Visits to DWCD
Visits to schools
Visits to children institutions
Visits to NGOs
Visits to hospital
Visits to CWC, Mankhurd
44
54
11
43
57
04
01
09
05
02
04
02
05
14
15
13
04
06
02
04
02
05
Court Based Intervention
Mumbai Court
The Prayas worker is based in the City Civil & Sessions Court in Mumbai and works in
collaboration with the Mumbai District Legal Services Authority. Magistrates and judges
who know about the work of Prayas refer cases or the Prayas worker approaches them to
refer cases requiring psycho-social and legal support / intervention. Cases are referred to
him through clients, families of clients, NGOs, community and CJS personnel.
Work done
1. Case work
Illustration 1: Sagar Dube (name changed)
His case was referred by a Prayas client. He was once a member of an infamous gang and
a serious case has been pending against him in the Sessions Court since 1989. He has
been absconding since then. He had approached Prayas and expressed his wish to
surrender before the court but the difficulty was that he was infected with HIV and his
physical condition was deteriorating day by day. As the worker was in the process of
persuading the judicial officer to cancel his warrant on medical grounds, he was arrested
by Agripada Police Station. The worker met the trial court judge. He was given legal aid
and the court released him on surety bond of Rs.15,000/- and also allowed cash bail
temporarily.
Illustration 2: Jabaar Shaikh (name changed)
A middle aged person from Assam came to Mumbai along with his son to seek
employment in Mumbai city. They started a tea stall at Parel. Within a short span of time,
their business reached a high point only to annoy their competitors, who in collusion with
a corrupt community leader falsely implicated Jabbar in a child molestation case. A
lawyer appointed by them turned crooked and took Rs.50000/- from them for bailing him
out. He lost his business and savings. His case was referred to Prayas by a Sessions
Court clerk because he had nobody in the city to stand as surety. We met the judge and
presented his case but she refused to release him on permanent cash bail. Meanwhile, the
complainants who realized their mistake approached him and brought the family to the
Prayas Sessions Court office. After discussion, they agreed to withdraw the case. Prayas
provided them legal aid and an application was made before the judge on behalf of the
complainant that they had settled the matter and have no objection if he be released
permanently on cash bail. Meanwhile, Prayas requested the court to expedite his matter.
45
Illustration 3: Nilesh Jadav (name changed)
He was just 18 years old at the time of the alleged offence whereby he was accused of
outraging the modesty of small girl child of 4 years. He was also booked on the charges
of POCSO Act. His case was referred to Prayas by a community leader. He was found
guilty during the trial, but due to Prayas intervention he was released on probation under
the Probation of Offenders' Act, 1958. During his trial, Prayas was constantly in touch
with his parents and community leaders. They also played an important role. He has
given up the habit of alcohol and gutka. He is under the observation of the Probation
Officer and Prayas social workers.
Illustration 4: Ramesh Lal (name changed)
He was once a habitual offender with more than 5 cases of robberies against his name
before coming into contact of Prayas. As part of his rehabilitation, he had been placed
with a NGO working on the educational issues of deprived children. He trained himself
in para professional in social work and got employment with the same NGO as a social
worker. During his distress time, he missed a date in the court as he had gone to his
village in Uttar Pradesh. A proclamation cum arrest warrant was issued against him for
not attending his court date. He was taken in to custody but due to his rehabilitation
efforts and the intervention by Prayas, he was given a chance by the police officers to
appear with surety so he could be released immediately. The Legal aid worker also met
the magistrate and requested him to release him on bail. He was accordingly given bail
but finding sureties was a big challenge. Finally, due to the help of the advocate
appointed for his bail, his surety was arranged and he was released. He has resumed his
work in the same NGO.
.
2. Advocacy and liaising with the CJS (proposed seminar for Mumbai metropolitan
magistrates)
Prayas planned a seminar for the metropolitan magistrates of Mumbai District on the
issues of judiciary's response to the plight of children of prisoners and jail courts. The
seminar was supposed to be held on 28/3/2015 but due to the unavailability of the
Guardian Judge of Bombay High Court, the same has been postponed to the month of
May-June 2015.
3. Maha Lok Adalat to settle compoundable matters
Prayas has prepared the list of cases to be put before the Maha Lok Adalat going to be
held on 11/4/2015 with the help of Mumbai District Legal Services Authority and Chief
Metropolitan Magistrate.We also provided them with a list of social workers in the panel
across the metropolitan courts in Mumbai District.
4. Follow up with District Inter-Departmental Committee
A letter along with a copy of the Government Resolution (GR) of setting up District
Inter-Departmental Committee has been given to the newly appointed Principal Judge,
Shri Sangitrao Patil. He has agreed to call for the District IDC meeting and gave
directions to the Secretary, DLSA to convene the meeting. The first meeting has taken
place under the Chairmanship of Principle Judge, Shri. Sangitrao Patil and necessary
46
direction had been given to government departments concerned with regard to problems
faced by under trial prisoners.
An awareness programme on the topic of Benefits of Probation of Offenders' Act was
organised in the male section of Mumbai Central Prison in the first week of January,
2015 in collaboration with Mumbai DLSA. More than two hundreds inmates were
participated in the session.
Some Outcomes and Future Plans
Prepared a list of advocates and trained them for providing legal aid at jail courts at
Mumbai Central and Byculla District Prisons with the active collaboration with the
Secretary, Hon’ble Shri Sushil Koche of Mumbai DLSA. Our social workers have been
constantly discussing the various issues related to the functioning of jail court with the
magistrates.
Prayas has been following up with Maharashtra SLSA to increase the honorarium for
legal aid lawyers and push the matter through State Inter-Departmental Committee on
Prisoners. Prayas has submitted copies of the Delhi State Legal Services Authority’s fees
structure to the Under Secretary of Maharashtra State Legal Services Authority and is
maintaining constant follow up with the authorities. Due to our consistent efforts, the
honorarium has been increased from Rs.600/- to Rs.1200/- (in M.M. Courts) plus photo
copying & typing charges and from Rs.900/- to Rs.1800/- plus photo copying & typing
charges in Session courts throughout Maharashtra state.
47
Statistics
Broad Services
Work with cases
Interventions
Specific Services
Total cases
Legal guidance to litigants
Arranging legal aid through MDLSA
Arranging legal aid through Prayas
Referral of cases from magistrates
Meeting with judicial officers
Meetings
conducted/attended (Sessions Court)
Meeting with judicial officers (M.M.
Court)
MDLSA Meetings attended
Jail Visits
Visits conducted
Court Visits
Home visits
48
Statistics
72
47
12
7
1
12
7
4
18
53
8
Thane Court
Inputs and Interventions
 Counselling sessions in family dispute matters to explore out-of-court settlements.
 Visits to police stations, government offices, NGOs, court and prison.
 Home visits to understand the situation of the families and to reconnect them with
the clients in prison.
 Provided legal guidance and information to litigants coming to court.
Outputs and Outcomes
 A total of 350 clients benefited through the Prayas outreach.
 Legal guidance and information was provided in 269 cases.
 23 clients were provided legal aid.
 2 clients were repatriated to their native state, as per their request.
 Networking with 18 NGOs to explore welfare services for clients.
Challenges
 Lack of fixed sitting space in the court premises affects outreach to litigants who
may need help/information/guidance.
 Prayas worker had to double up as prison worker, leading to gaps in presence in
court premises, as the prison worker was moved to aftercare to strengthen the
aftercare work.
 Home visits to far off places in Thane district, especially those living in rural
areas, takes lot of time and effort.
 Response of judiciary to Prayas worker is uneven, due to transfer of judges.
Future Plans
 Efforts to become member of the Thane DLSA Committee as non-official
member.
 Efforts to have a fixed place in the court premises to increase visibility.
 Appointment of full-time prison worker in Thane Central Prison in next financial
year.
 Identifying NGOs in rural areas who can help with home visits.
 Organising District IDC meeting chaired by the Principal District Judge to
increase credibility of Prayas in Thane court and highlight issues relating to
prisoners.
49
Statistics
Broad Services Specific Services
Work
with Total outreach
cases
Prison Visit
Visits
conducted
Home Visit
Police Station Visit
Court Visit
NGO Visit
District Probation Office Visit
Samaj Kalyan Office Visit
Zilla Parishad Visit
Hospital visits
Interventions Legal Aid
Provided legal advice and information
Counselling sessions in DLSA
Video conferencing
Follow up for bail process
Family Counselling
Child Welfare Committee
Repatriation
Networking with other NGOs
JJB/observation Home
Superintendent of Prison
Meetings
Member Secretary of DLSA
Probation Officer
Zilla Parishad Officer
Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojna
Collector
Thane Municipal Corporation
workshop attain by DLSA
Government Department
Group session & information about Prayas and
Programme
prisoners rights by DLSA - Total outreach from
conducted
inside prison programmes
50
Statistics
350
78
53
44
121
12
13
8
8
19
23
269
-2
10
150
-2
18
-4
12
14
8
7
3
10
1
-330 inmates
Prayas Vichar Manch (Policy Advocacy Unit)
State Inter-Departmental Committee (IDC) on Prisoners
Inputs and Interventions
1. Prayas attended the State IDC meeting in April, 2014, chaired by the Principal
Secretary, Home Department. Issues highlighted by Prayas during the meeting are as
follows:
a. Starting government-recognised vocational training for prisoners by the Department of
Technical and Higher Education.
b. Appointment of Prison Welfare Officers in Central Prisons and major District Prisons.
c. Starting anganwadis in women’s sections of prisons through ICDS scheme.
d. Granting permission to law and social work colleges to initiate field work to work with
prison population.
e. Creating a budget head in the prison department to purchase and provide books to
prisoners.
f. Creating PCO facility inside prisons to facilitate better contact between prisoners and
their families.
g. Starting telemedicine facilities in Yerawada and Mumbai Central Prisons as a pilot
project to improve medical care and treatment of prisoners.
i. Issue instructions by the Department of Law & Judiciary to district judges to conduct
regular District IDC meetings.
j. Filling up vacant posts of Probation Officers.
k. Recognition of NGOs under the Probation of Offenders Act, 1958 Rules to work in the
field of rehabilitation of prisoners.
l. Provide newspapers to prisoners at the ratio of 1 newspaper per 10 prisoners.
2. Follow up with Registrar General, High Court to give directions to district judges to
conduct District IDC meetings every three months. A request letter was sent by Prayas to
Law and Judiciary Department on July 17, 2014. On the basis of this letter, the Law and
Judiciary Department sent a letter to Registrar General of Bombay High Court, who in
turn sent a letter to all principal judges of district and sessions courts in the state asking
them to conduct District IDC meetings every three months.
51
3. Meeting with IG Prisons’ Office to follow up the decision taken in the State IDC
meeting relating to vocational training of prisoners. The prison department has issued a
circular to prison superintendents to get the prisons recognised a Vocational Training
Providers (VTPs) under the Modular Employable Scheme of the Ministry of Labour and
Employment, so that prisoners undergoing vocational training can be issued government
recognised certificates by the prison authorities for the training received by them.
4. Continuous follow-up with the Home Department regarding organising a meeting of
State Inter Departmental Committee, led to State IDC meeting on January 19, 2015 under
the Chairpersonship of the new Principal Secretary, Home Department (Prisons). The
following issues were discussed in the meeting:
a) Issues regarding infrequent visits by Probation Officers to prisons and
increasing the Grant-in-Aid Scheme for Financial Assistance for Rehabilitation of
Released Prisoners.
b) To start Anganwadis in all central prisons.
c) To provide sanitary napkins for women inmates.
d) Registration of Vocational Training Programme (VTP) for issuing the
certificate to trained prisoners under Modular Employable Skill (MES).
e) To appoint medical officer on a contract basis.
f) To arrange medical awareness camp and training programme in prison.
g) To make available police escort.
h) Maximum use of video conferencing for under trial prisoners.
i) To appoint two duty counsels by the State Legal Services Authorities at the
time of production of under trial prisoners through the video conferencing facility.
j) To change the name of prison department as correctional services department.
5. The next State IDC meeting was held on March 5, 2015 and following issues were
discussed:
Home Department asked Prayas as per their letter dated January 27, 2015 to submit the
issues related to women inmates, children of prisoners and male youth inmates. Prayas
replied to the Home Department on the issues of women inmates, children of prisoners
and male youth inmates. On February 18, 2015, the letter was submitted containing the
following issues:
52
a) To appoint women welfare officer for women prisoners and their children.
b) To provide sanitary napkins for women prisoner as per requirement.
c) To appointment full / part time female medical officer for female prisoners and
their children.
d) To conduct awareness programmes on health issues in the female barracks.
e) To implement vocational training programme for prisoners.
f) To increase the amount of the Grant-in-aid scheme (released prisoners and
probationers).
g) To appoint part time probation officers as per the PO Act Rules.
h) To start anganwadis for children of prisoners in all central prisons.
i) To appoint a full time Desk Officer in the Home Department for follow up and
arranging IDC meetings on a regular basis.
j) To make available police escorts for prisoners to be produced on their court dates
and for visits to hospitals.
k) To issue a circular for admission of released women prisoners in NGO or
government run shelter homes.
6. The IDC meeting was held on March 5, 2015 to discuss the above mentioned
issues raised by Prayas. Decisions taken:
a. Prison department would propose to the DWCD to hand over the Probation
Wing under the control of the prison department. Alternatively, it will explore
the possibility of appointment of welfare officers in prison department through
an independent cadre.
b. Sanitary napkins would be provided to women prisoners as per their
requirements and there will be no upper limit for the number of napkins they
will be provided with.
c. Medical officers will be appointed on an urgent basis to fill up vacant posts in
prisons.
d. The health department would be approached to conduct helath awareness
programmes and short term trainings for women prisoners.
53
e. Anganwadis under ICDS would be expanded to more prisons in the state in a
phased manner.
f. A decision was taken in the meeting to issue a new GR reconstituting the State
IDC by expanding the membership and specifying the rank of officials who
would be part of the Committee. A decision was taken to include a couple of
non-official experts apart from Prayas.
54
Children of Prisoners



Continues efforts were made by Prayas to start Anganwadis in prisons of the
state. The DWCD has formed a committee on November 17, 2014, on the
issue to review and update the status of Anganwadi in prisons of the state.
Based on the Prayas study on children of prisoners, the Bombay High Court
has admitted a Suo Moto PIL on the steps that need to be taken by the State to
address problems faced by children of women prisoners left outside. Prayas
has been appointed as an Amicus Curae in the PIL. Prayas submitted a note on
the issue in one of the hearings of the PIL on February 25, 2015, which
includes recommendations for departments concerned to address the issue.
On February 27, 2015, Prayas met the Registrar General, Bombay High Court
for permission to organise a workshop for metropolitan magistrates of issues
and problems faced by children of women prisoners left outside. Permission
for the same was granted and Prayas was directed to contact the Chief
Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) to discuss the details of arranging the
workshop. It has been decided in consultation with the CMM to organise the
workshop in the month of June, 2015.
Outputs and Outcomes
 Based on Prayas raising the issue of lack of government recognised
certification for prisoners undergoing vocational training in prisons, a decision
was taken by the IG Prisons to initiate the process of prison superintendents
applying for recognition as Vocational Training Providers (VTPs) under the
MES scheme of the Government of India. Once the prisons get recognised as
VTPs, government recognised certification of vocational training undergone
by prisoners would become possible. The IG Prisons has issued a circular
addressed to prison superintendents on this matter vide Circular No.
EMS/VTP12079/2014, dated December 01, 2014.
 The new Principal Secretary, Home Department (Prisons) and the IG Prisons
have shown a lot of initiative to bring policy changes towards rehabilitation of
prisoners. One of the decisions taken in the last State IDC meeting has been to
reconstitute the IDC by issuing a new GR, which will make the structure more
effective and powerful. It has been decided that the members attending the
meetings from various departments will not be below the rank of secretary of
his/her deputy, so that decision making is easier during meetings. It has also
been decided to include a few more non-official experts so that one can have
the collective wisdom of a broad based team, while taking decisions.
55

Anganwadis for children of prisoners in women’s section will be started in
central prisons to start with.

A workshop on children of prisoners will be organised for the judiciary and
other stakeholders.
Challenges
 Maintaining sustained follow-up of issues raised by Prayas with officials is a
challenge in the face of frequent transfer of officials, changing priorities of the
departments and officials, varying response given by officials to Prayas, and
delays in issuing minutes of meetings held where decisions have been taken
with regard to some of the issues raised.
Future Plans
 Prayas plans to strengthen the State IDC structure by regular follow up with
department officials about decisions taken in earlier meetings and continuous
correspondence with them.
 Prayas will continue to follow up on issues relating to children of prisoners
through the Suo Moto PIL and with the DWCD and prison departments.
56
District Inter-Departmental Sub-Committee on Prisoners
Inputs and interventions
Visit to Nanded in August, 2014
 Met the Secretary, DLSA and the prison superintendent to request them to call
District IDC meeting.

Visited the District Library to facilitate the prison library scheme.

Met the Director, Employment Exchange to sensitise her about the need to
enroll prisoners with the Employment Exchange.
Visit to Parbhani in August, 2014
 Discussion with the Director of Vikalp India to explore possibility of starting
work in the prison.

Met the prison superintendent and Principal Judge to request them to call
District IDC meeting.

Visited the District Library to facilitate the prison library scheme.
District IDC meeting in Nashik and Nanded in September 2014 - Issues Highlighted by
Prayas:
 Lack of police escorts to ensure the production of under trial prisoners on
their court dates.

Lack of medical staff in prison to take care of health needs of prisoners.

Starting balwadi for children of women prisoners.

Starting education and vocational training by the Prison Department
through Yashwantrao Chawan Maharashtra Open University (YCMOU).
October, 2014
 Meeting with the Principal Judge, Mumbai Sessions Court, to brief him about the
District IDC Sub-Committee and request him to call a meeting.
 Meeting with the Principal Judge, Thane Sessions Court, to brief him about the
District IDC Sub-Committee and request him to call a meeting.
November, 2014
 Follow up with the Member Secretary, DLSA, Mumbai, about calling District
IDC meeting.
57

Participated in the District IDC meeting held in Byculla Prison. Points raised
by Prayas included making available a list of shelter homes for women with
the Superintendent of the prison so that released women prisoners in need of
shelter could be referred to these homes by the prison authorities. A request
was made by the prison authorities to arrange for 2 sewing machines for
women inmates. Prayas promised to explore the possibility.

Participated in the District IDC meeting in Ahmednagar District Prison.

Visit to District Library, Ahmednagar, to facilitate membership of the library
for the prison.
December, 2014
 Participated in District IDC meeting in Ahmednagar District Prison.
 Participated in District IDC meeting in Thane Court, attended by prison
superintendents from Thane, Kalyan and Taloja prisons.
 Participated in the District IDC meeting in Nasik Central Prison. Follow up
regarding Anganwadi was done.
January, 2015
 Correspondence with District Judges of Jalgaon, Dhule and Nandurbar
districts to follow up with them about calling District IDC meetings.
 Follow up of the circular issued by the Bombay High Court asking district
judges to convene regular meetings of the District IDC Sub-Committees with
the Home Department.
February, 2015
 Visit to Jalna District Prison to follow up on calling District IDC meeting. The
prison was recently built and inaugurated by the District Collector but did not
have basic facilities like water, electricity, drainage facilities. Prayas brought
this up with the prison authorities and the district judge, leading to prisoners
being transferred to Aurangabad Central Prison, till the basic facilities in Jalna
District Prison were established.
March, 2015
 Participated in the District IDC meeting at Akola and visited Akola prison to
understand issues relating to under trial prisoners.
 Visited Amravati DLSA officials to orient them about District IDC SubCommittee. DLSA officials requested Prayas to give them a copy of the
Bombay High Court circular and District IDC GR to organise regular District
IDC meetings.
58

Participated in District IDC meetings at Mumbai, Thane, Nanded,
Ahmednagar, Nandurbar, and Nasik.
Some of the common issues discussed in District IDC meetings include:
a) Escort Problem – to attend court dates
b) Health problem – lack of regular visits by doctors from the health department.
c) Lack of educational and nutritional support inside prison for children of prisoners
d) To start small scale vocational training programme inside prison.
Outputs and Outcomes

In Nasik Central Prison, the Principal Judge has instructed the prison and
court officials to start production of under trial prisoners (UTPs) through
video conferencing facility. He has also instructed the police department to
provide more police escorts to produce UTPs on their court dates, as far as
possible.

An ENT specialist will visit Nasik Central Prison once in fifteen days.

A gynecologist will visit Nasik Central prison every Wednesday.

Computer training will be provided by Department of Women & Child
Development (DWCD). DWCD has provided 15 computers to the prison.

The Annapoorna Charitable Trust has agreed to start vocational training
courses for women prisoners such as candle making and Rukhawat preparing
for weddings.

The Medical Officer in Nanded District has assured that an external medical
officer is attending to prison inmates on a daily basis.

District IDC meetings are being regularly held across the state as a result of
the circular issued by Bombay High Court instructing district judges to
organise such meetings on a regular basis (every three months). This circular
has been issued as a result of the issue of infrequent meetings being raised by
Prayas in earlier State IDC meetings.

District IDC meetings are now being regularly held in Mumbai and Thane
districts which has helped raise field issues faced by Prayas in Mumbai and
Thane prisons, for example lack of police escorts to produce under trial
prisoners on their court dates, vacancies in health posts in prisons and
infrequent visits by probation officers to prisons.
59

Prayas is attending most of the District IDC meetings across the state which is
now being regularly held, due to the Bombay High Court circular issued to
district judges to call regular meetings. By attending the meetings, Prayas is
playing the role of familiarizing the district judges and the members to the
issues faced by prisoners and also trying to understand the specific problems
faced by prisoners in different prisons. This would in t urn help in gathering
ground level data about issues to be taken up for State IDC meetings.

Kalyan District Prison started an Anganwadi for children of prisoners inside
the prison on June 3, 2014.
Challenges
 Sometimes, too many District IDC meetings held around the same time makes it
difficult to attend all the meetings and contribute in an effective manner in these
meetings.
 While District IDC meetings are a good strategy to scale up the work of Prayas in
terms of understanding ground level issues and taking them to policy level, there a
danger of spreading oneself too thin, and thereby diluting the intervention.
Future Plans
 Prayas plans to focus on two administrative regions per year – each region
consists of 5-6 district prisons. The plan is to visit these prisons on a regular basis,
develop a good rapport with the district officials from the prison, probation,
women and child development, social justice departments and the judiciary.
Through these visits, the plan is to strengthen the District IDC structure and make
if more effective as a forum to address inter-departmental issues relating to legal
rights and rehabilitation of prisoners.
 Prayas plans to identify potential NGOs in the focus districts who can start work
in these prisons, and strengthen their capacities to develop an effective network of
NGOs working in prisons in the state.
60
Visit to Uttar Pradesh as per the orders of the Allahabad High Court
The Prayas team visited Central and District Prisons in nine districts of Uttar Pradesh in
three teams, each comprising of five to six social workers, from 20th to 30th June, 2014.
The team’s mandate was to understand the problems faced by prisoners and prison
officials and suggest practical and policy level changes to address the problems and
issued it came across. During the study tour, the Prayas team visited the prisons in
Lucknow, Rai Bareli, Allahabad, Agra, Mathura, Bareilly, Meerut, Varanasi, Azamgarh,
and Gorakhpur and had detailed discussions with:
 Male and female under trial and convicted prisoners about the issues and
problems faced by prisoners, families and children of prisoners and released
prisoners.

Prison staff and senior prison officials about problems relating to prisoners,
prison administration, working conditions of prison staff, inter-departmental
coordination issues, and suggestions to change or improve policies.

Probation Officers about issues and problems relating to the implementation
of the UP Release of Prisoners on Probation Act, 1938, and the Probation of
Offenders Act, 1958, problems relating to structure and staffing of probation
work in the state and issues relating to the rehabilitation of prisoners.

Officials from the DLSAs and the SLSA regarding the implementation of
legal aid scheme for under trial and convicted prisoners.
61
Major Recommendations submitted by Prayas to the Hon’ble Allahabad High Court:

It is observed that the state is taking basic minimum care of its prison inmates.
However, the prisons are overflowing with an ever-increasing population and are
marked by a high number of aged and ailing prisoners, which is burdening the
administration, given the perennial staff shortage. Some of the older prison buildings
are in urgent need of repairs. There is need to build more toilets and repair existing
ones. There is a need to ensure safe and regular supply of water for drinking and
bathing/washing purposes. Vocational training and library facilities need to be
improved, especially for women prisoners. Balwadis need to be started for children in
prisons outside the prison premises as per the R. D. Upadhyay judgment by the
Hon’ble Supreme Court. Medical facilities need to be reviewed and overhauled.

It is further observed that there is a lack of co-ordination and communication between
different departments relating to prison administration and rehabilitation of prisoners,
which is worsening the situation. For example, issues like lack of sufficient medical
personnel, probation officers, police escorts or legal aid facilities requires regular
coordination mechanisms between the departments concerned – prisons, health,
women and child development, police and legal services authorities. Similarly,
improving vocational training and library facilities would require better coordination
with the Department of Technical Education and Department of Libraries.

There is an urgent need to reduce the prison population and take effective measures to
release old and ailing convicted prisoners on premature release, under trials arrested
in petty offences on bail and PR Bond, and use of the UP Prisoners’ Release on
Probation Act, 1938 and the Probation of Offenders Act, 1958.

The staff-inmate ratio needs to be urgently improved. The superintendents have an
unenviable job of running the prisons with vacant posts, and the field staff is hugely
overloaded, with punishing working hours and hardly any leave facilities. The
situation of the inmates is indirectly affected by the staff shortage as bad working
conditions and long duty hours without weekly offs leads to demotivated and
frustrated staff. Most of the staff shared that their working conditions lead to
disturbed family relations, which has an adverse impact on fair treatment to prisoners.
Filling up vacant posts and creating additional posts is the need of the hour, if we are
to expect better treatment of prisoners.

The staff shortage extends to other departments such as Probation Officers from the
Department of Women & Child Development, and Medical Officers from the Health
Department. This has a negative impact on the care, treatment and rehabilitation of
prisoners. The number of the posts of Probation Officers should be immediately
increased, so that they can do liaison work between the prisoners and the prison,
62
court, police, and families of prisoners. At present, the prison staff is playing this role
which is not expected from them and they are not able to do justice towards this
responsibility.

Vocational training courses should be organised to impart marketable skills to
prisoners, especially for women prisoners through ITIs, government-recognised
polytechnic institutes, and the Modular Employable Scheme of the Ministry of
Labour and Employment, GoI. Funding should be made available to the Prison
Department to take care of expenses relating to organising such courses.

The superintendents of the respective prisons have submitted lists of prisoners who
may be considered for premature release, on the basis of the guidelines mentioned in
the Handbook published by the Prison Department in 2010. The lists submitted by the
superintendents are pending for a final decision with the higher authorities. These
lists should be reviewed and disposed of as per the merits and the rules complied in
the Handbook.

There is a need to set up a State Inter-Departmental Committee on Prisoners,
under the Chairpersonship of the Home Secretary and Secretary level officials or
Heads of Departments from the Departments of Prisons, Police, Law & Judiciary,
State Legal Services Authority, Women & Child Development, Social Justice,
Technical Education, Health, Libraries, and Revenue to look into issues and problems
relating to prisoners, released prisoners, families of prisoners and children of
prisoners and take effective policy and field level decisions to address the issues and
problems in a coordinated manner. This Committee should also include some nonofficial members – NGOs, advocates or experts who have experience in the field of
prison reforms, legal aid, access to justice and rehabilitation of custodial populations.
This Committee should meet at least once in six months and take stock of the
situation of prisoners and released prisoners in the state and decide on matters which
need to be addressed. The Office of the IG Prisons should act as the Member
Secretary of the Committee. A Desk / Section Officer or officer of the rank of Deputy
Secretary in the Home Department may be assigned to handle all necessary
paperwork, issue minutes and review implementation of decisions taken in these
meetings.

The similar Committees (District Inter-Departmental Sub-Committees on
Prisoners) need to be established at districts level chaired by the Principal Judge,
District & Sessions Court, and with members such as the District Probation Officer,
Superintendent of Police, District Legal Services Authority, Civil Surgeon, District
Education Officer, DRDA, Zilla Parishad, District Social Welfare Officer, NGOs
working in prisons and the Prison Superintendent as the Member-Secretary of the
Committee. These Committees should meet once a quarter to address practical
63
problems faced in the field and take decisions to solve the problems. Any decision
that has policy implications should be referred to the State IDC for an appropriate
decision to be taken. The State IDC and District IDC SCs have been established and
functioning in Maharashtra, and Prayas is a member in these Committees. These
forums have proved useful to highlights problems and find practical solutions to the
same on a on-going basis.

There is an urgent need for implementation of the Supreme Court judgment regarding
the children in prison with their imprisoned mothers in the case of R. D. Upadhyay
V/S State of Andhra Pradesh and Others. This judgment focused on the welfare of
the children who are in custody with their mothers. The implementation of the said
judgment would help to improve the facilities given for the children with their
mothers within custody, especially relating to setting up of balwadis through the
ICDS outside the prison premises.

District Libraries located in the districts should extend their facilities to the nearest
prisons so that under trials and convicts (male and female sections) can avail of books
and magazines available in these libraries. Similarly, newspapers should be
distributed to prisoners in the ratio of at least one copy per ten prisoners. These
facilities are being extended to prisoners in Maharashtra.

There is an emerging need to conduct regular refresher trainings and/or workshops for
prison, police, and probation officers, and members of the judiciary to sensitise them
to the problems faced by prisoners and their families and discuss possible ways to
mitigate the same. This can be achieved by developing in-house training modules in
the departmental training schools and by collaborating with social science / social
work / criminology departments and reputed NGOs working in the field of criminal
justice.

There is need to introduce meaningful Government-NGO Partnerships with support
from the government in the form of financial support or a grant-in-aid scheme for
NGOs working in the field of criminal justice, towards the protection of legal rights
and rehabilitation of prisoners and children of prisoners. Colleges of social work and
law should be invited by the prison authorities to allow their students to do
internships, field work / block placements in prisons with the aim of reaching out to
prisoners, their families and their children with a socio-legal and rehabilitative
approach.

Trained social workers may be appointed in prisons to look into welfare and
rehabilitation needs of vulnerable sections such as youth and women prisoners and
their children (both inside and those left outside). These social workers could help
strengthen the rehabilitative role in collaboration with the Probation Officers / Liaison
64
Officers and NGOs working in prisons. For a start, such social workers may be
appointed in some of the Central and District Prisons which have a larger population
of youth, women and children. The role of these workers can be developed on the
basis of the experiences of Prayas. A note on this matter has been submitted by
Prayas to the Maharashtra Prison Department for them to consider a similar proposal.
65
Implementation of PO Act and Services
On November 14, 2014, a letter was submitted to the Principal Secretary, DWCD to
conduct a meeting on the issues of prisoners and effective implementation of the PO Act.
In response to the letter, the DWCD arranged a meeting on February 16, 2015, and the
following issues were discussed:
(I)
A detailed study on the status of the implementation of the PO Act will be
conducted by the Centre for Criminology and Justice, TISS, will be
presented before the Hon’ble Minister, DWCD, to highlight the structural
issues that hinder the implementation of this Act.
(II)
A workshop for probation officers and NGOs on the issues and challenges
relating to the implementation of the PO Act will be organised by Prayas
and TISS in the presence of the Hon’ble Minister, DWCD.
(III)
The Commissioner, DWCD, will submit a draft GR to the Principal
Secretary, DWCD, regarding appointment of liaison officers in the 9
central prisons of Maharashtra, to look into the needs and problems of
convicted prisoners and their families.
(IV)
Meetings to follow up issues decided in the meeting would be held every
two months to take the decisions forward.
66
Issues relating to women rescued from commercial sexual exploitation
Inputs and Interventions
 Prayas raised the issue of extending the Bal Sangopan Yojana, a foster-care
scheme for children in vulnerable circumstances implemented by the DWCD,
to children of women in commercial sexual exploitation in the State Advisory
Committee meeting held on September 24, 2014.
 Follow up was done on the issue highlighted above and a letter was submitted
to the Chairperson, State Advisory Committee on December 22, 2014.
Outputs and Outcomes
 The Chairperson of the State Advisory Committee on ITPA has accepted Prayas
suggestion of including children of rescued women under the Bal Sangopan
Yojana.
 Admission of women released from Protective Home who need shelter facilities
into shelter homes for women has become easier with continuous follow up.
Challenges
 To ensure regular meetings of the State Advisory Committee on Immoral
Trafficking and follow up decisions taken with respective departments.
 To make available police escort for the timely repatriation of rescued women.

To avail benefit of schemes for rescued women and voluntary admission of
rescued women in shelter homes.

To improve the infrastructure of homes declared under ITPA in the state.

To include Bal Sagnogopan Yojana for the children of rescued women or those
who voluntarily come out of prostitution.
Future Plans
 To work towards ensuring that the state government organises awareness sessions
on Anti-Human Trafficking with the help of other NGOs.
 To follow up with the Home Department not to use the police staff attached to
Anti-Human Trafficking Units for other purposes.

To request the state government to arrange for awareness programme on various
government schemes for women rescued from prostitution with the help of other
NGOs.

To work towards ensuring that the state government implements the norms for
infrastructure to be made available under the homes declared under ITPA.
67

To work towards making the Bal Sagnogopan Yojana eligible for children of
rescued women from prostitution.
68
Prison Libraries
Inputs and Outcomes
 Visited Byculla District Prison Women’s Section to meet the superintendent to
discuss about the getting books from the district library and discuss possibility of
allocating additional library work to a lady constable. The Superintendent agreed
to the proposal and appointed a lady constable to maintaining the library in the
women’s section.
 Discussed the idea of organising a workshop for 39 prison teachers with the IG
Prisons and DIG Prisons (HQ) to discuss ways to strengthen the prison library
services.
 Discussed the possibility of organising a training programme for prison teachers
with Pratham under their Community College Module, in order to build their
capacities towards making prisoners literate.
 Discussed the problems being faced by prison authorities with regard to payment
of library deposit and fees charged by district libraries with the IG Prisons office
at Pune. A decision was taken to debit the related expenses to the budget head of
daily official/admin expenses. Prison superintendents have been issued a circular
dated 17/5/2015 to this effect by the IG Prisons office. The circular has asked
prison superintendents to take library membership of district libraries and
government funded Class A libraries.
 Based on discussion with the IG Prisons in the State IDC meetings, a circular has
been issued dated 17/5/2014 whereby the newspapers being circulated free of cost
to prisoners has been increased from 1 newspaper copy per 20 prisoners to one
newspaper copy per 10 prisoners.
 Follow up with Mumbai Central and Byculla District Prison teachers on regular
basis to improve library services for prisoners.
 Follow up with DIG Prisons (Southern Region) office at Byculla District Prison to
discuss and share about district library issues from time to time.
 Follow up with Worli and Nerul District Libraries to meet the Librarians and staff
on a regular basis to smoothen prison library services.
 Follow up with State Central Library and to meet the new Addl. Assistant
Director to share and discuss the good practices relating to the prison library
services under the 4-C plan for prisoners.
 Follow up with the prison teacher in Kohlapur Central Prison to discuss
library/education work, as around 100 prisoners have taken admission for various
courses through the open university system.
 Participated and took a session in a workshop organised for prison teachers by the
Maharashtra Prisons Department in August, 2014, about the role of teachers in
supporting prison libraries.
 Discussed with the IG Prisons about the need to appoint a prison staff to look
after prison library services in all prisons which do not have the post of teachers.
A circular has been issued on 7/9/2014 regarding this issue by the IG Prisons
office. The circular has also highlighted the role of prison teachers to maintain
prison libraries, ensure regular exchange of books from the district libraries and
distribution of books to prisoners.
69









Based on a request made by prison teachers, copies of the Prayas newsletter,
Dialogues in Criminal Justice and Rehabilitation, have been sent to all prison
teachers across the state.
Visit to Nanded District Prison, District Library and District Legal Service
Authority – the prison superintendent has taken membership of the Nanded
district library. Ten prisoners have written poems which are being published by
the Prison Department in the form of a collection of poems by prisoners. The
Superintendent made a request to Prayas for circulation of magazines for
prisoners. The issue has been taken up with the District Librarian and he has
agreed to find a way to donate old issues of magazines to the prison.
Follow-up with Taloja Central Prison teacher and Senior Jailor to discuss about
maintaining and running the prison library.
Follow up with Prisons HQs regarding role of teachers in prisons led to a circular
being issued by IG Prisons which specifies the role of teachers including
conducting literacy classes, distribution of newspapers, library books distribution,
maintaining register and organising sports activities, coordination with NGOs to
organise their activities, and training and of inmates to conduct literacy classes for
other inmates.
Library started in Parbhani, Nanded, Beed and Solapur with the help of nearest
district libraries.
Prayas attended a meeting called by Symbiosis College of Management to plan
for starting advanced computer training programme for the inmates of Yerwada
Central Prison. This has led to Symbiosis College of Management starting a basic
course on computers at Yerawada Open Prison. The Prayas social worker
supported and guided this process. A visit was made to Nasik Central Prison and
Nasik Borstal School by Prayas and Symbiosis College of Management to explore
possibility of starting computer classes for inmates of Borstal School.
Met the Librarian of Nasik Divisional Library to request him to donate old issues
of magazines (Diwali Ank) to the prisoners in Nasik Central Prison (women’s
section and male youth barrack) and also at Nasik Borstal School.
Prayas social worker has been successful in requesting the Superintendent to
delegate the work of a teacher to one of their prison staff member, where there is
no post of teacher in prisons. A circular has been issued by the IG Prisons for the
same.
Teachers and prison authorities are now taking the responsibility of issuing books
to prisoners.
Challenges
 Activating libraries in some district prisons because there are no posts of teachers.
 In some of the district prisons, there are no cupboards for keeping books for the
library or they have very few books in the library. There is no fund for library,
cupboards, books or for visits in the prison budget.
 As compared to convicts, undertrail prisoners do not get the books from the
Library.
70
Future Plans
 Follow up with Ratnagiri, Latur, Bharuch and Osmanabad district prison
libraries to extend library facilities to the nearest prisons.
 Continue follow up with IG Prisons to strengthen the role of prison teachers
regarding training, library and education.
 Follow up with funding agencies for donation of cupboard, books, etc. for
prison libraries.
71
Statistics
Broad Services
Interventions
Visits conducted
Specified Services
Number of activated libraries in prisons
Meetings with officials of various libraries,
prisons, custodial institutions, College, NGOs and
DWCD
Visits to libraries
Visits to prisons
Visits to JJB
Visits to NGOs
Visits to training centres
Home visits (Mumbai)
Attend workshop of prison teachers along in Pune
Circular Issued from IG Prisons Regarding District
Library Membership subject is Expenditure on
Government expenses
Circular issued from IG prison regarding
newspaper in prison
Visit to Thane Mental Hospital
Visit to Nasik Brostal school
Attended District IDC Meeting in Nasik Central
Prison
72
Statistics
4
48
35
27
4
2
3
2
1
3
1
1
2
1
Community Based Intervention (Dharavi) - Crime Prevention Project and Legal
Information Centre
Inputs and Interventions
 Visits made to the community, police stations, hospitals and NGOs in the area.
 Contact established with families and youth at risk.
 Counselling and emergency support provided to youth.
Outputs and Outcomes
 Prayas responded to needs of 25 youth from the community.
 29 home visits were paid.
 Counselling was provided to 10 youths from the community.
 1 youth was provided with emergency assistance and 1 youth was provided with
medical assistance.
Challenges
 Drop out of clients from training, as they are not able to take a long-term view of
their lives.
 Irregular attendance of youth in meetings.
 Outreach to greater number of youth due to lack of a meeting space.
 Multiple demands from clients. Most youth are interested in white collar jobs with
high salaries. Clients do not want to take up jobs involving manual labour and
want to take up high income jobs, which is difficult given their educational
background.
 Youth are not willing to join the Prayas NGO Placement programme, due to
insufficient stipend amount.
Future Plans
 Conducting awareness programmes for legal information and vocational training.
 NGO visits to sensitize them to rehabilitation services for those in conflict with
law & society.
 Arranging vocational training for youth (AC repairs, mobile repairs, four wheeler
driving course, etc.)
 Setting up a legal aid panel for legal guidance of community members.
73
Case
Dinesh (name changed), aged 28 years, resides in Rajiv Nagar Transit Camp, 90 Feet
Road, Dharavi. He was referred to Prayas by an NGO in the area. He was arrested in a
rape case by the Ghatkopar Police Station. He was physically tortured during police
custody, due to which he had gone into coma. The police allegedly had demanded money
to keep him out of the case. Before he was taken into custody, the police had gone to his
house in the night at 3.30 am and beat him and his physically handicapped brother. A
complaint was filed by the family before the Maharashtra State Human Rights
Commission which had ordered an enquiry into the case. Due to this, the police were
interfering in the treatment of Dinesh while he was admitted to a municipal hospital.
While in the OPD, he informed the hospital authorities that he was beaten up by the
police. The Prayas worker informed the police about his role in the case with regard to
rehabilitation. The worker’s intervention in the case helped to counter the interference by
the police in the treatment.
In the meanwhile, Dinesh’s step-brother was harassing him with demands of money and
forcing him to sell his house. In this regard, the worker met the Police Inspector in charge
of 90 Feet Police Chowkie and informed him about the case by submitting a written
application after which a FIR was registered. The worker also met Dinesh’s advocate and
discussed with him about filing a case against the brother.
Due to Prayas’s intervention, Dinesh has gained self-confidence due to which he is able
to go out on his own as compared to his past when he would not go out without his
mother. Follow-up is being maintained with regard to his case. Due to the legal guidance
and treatment provided, Dinesh has changed a lot.
74
Statistics
Broad Services
Work with cases
Specific Services
Statistics
Total outreach
25
New cases
05
Old cases
21
Home visits
29
Visits conducted
NGO visit
11
Hospital visit
03
Visits to police station
09
Visits to advocates office
06
Provided legal aid
08
Interventions
Counselling
10
Medical support
01
Provided vocational training
01
Exposure Visit
Stress Management
04 Clients
Information session Conducted informative meeting on vocational training 08 Clients
75
Prayas Livelihood and Reintegration Programme
Mumbai and Thane (Work with Women)
NGO Placement Programme
a. Pre-Placement and Exposure Visits to NGOs
The first step in the Placement programme is the social worker’s assessment about the
person’s ability to undergo this programme e.g. emotional and physical stability, stable
shelter, child care facilities arranged for, progress in equipping self with work ethics,
tendency to report and share life situations with social workers.
The pre-placement programme involves visits to different NGOs to provide the person
with information about the kind of work undertaken in various sectors within the welfare
system.
Inputs and Interventions
 Giving information about the rehabilitation programme to the trainees.
 Arranging individual and group exposure visits to NGOs to orient trainees about
the work of NGOs.
 Arranging sessions to develop their knowledge about social issues and increase
their interest in the social field.
 Identifying new NGOs for the trainees’ exposure and placement.
 Arranging educational group exposure visits to trainees for creating educational
environment and also gaining their interest in education.
 Arranging recreational programmes for their entertainment.
 Follow up of cases with regard to medical issues and stable shelter
 Regular counseling on their medical and personal problems.
 Regular guidance and information about their family reconnection, behavior
problems, developing skills, educational support, etc.
 Finding shelter homes for women with medical problems.
 Providing moral support to clients during their confusing and disturbing
situations.
 Mentoring during NGO Placement.
 Providing healthy atmosphere to clients in pre-placement programme through
various activities.
 Follow up with NGOs for making new programs for trainees.
 Addressing issues such as negative relationships, family disturbances, shelter, etc.
that impedes the overall development of the clients.
 Developing professional skills by engaging the clients in trainings and other
courses.
76
 Arranging varied exposure visits and trainings for the clients (e.g. Parle G factory,
Nehru Science Center, mono rail, self-defense training, disaster management
training etc.)
Outputs and Outcomes
 Trainees gain information about various NGOs.
 Prayas is able to identify the clients’ individual and family problems.
 Trainees are relieved of their mental stress and are prepared to go for the
placement programme.
 Trainees equipped with some skills and gained information about an area of work
in the social sector.
 Reduction in their health and family crisis situation.
 Developing good rapport with the NGO social workers.
 Total 51 trainees enrolled in pre-placement programme. These trainees were also
taken for individual visits to other NGOs, shelter homes, training centers,
production centers, day care centers, etc.
 42 individual exposure visits and 19 group visits conducted to various NGOs.
 60 trainees provided training and information on first aid, communication skills,
information about vocational courses, disaster management and ambulance
services, etc.
 Trainees learnt to work with discipline, improved communication skills, time
management, etc.
 4 trainees completed care givers training, in a government certified course for
care givers.
 Both male and female clients benefitted from the soap making, pencil making
training held at Ratna Nidhi Trust as now they are producing such things at home.
 Some female clients who had attended the pickle and jam making training are
preparing the same at home.
 From time to time, clients are imparted first aid training course conducted by Tata
Ambulance which helps them in getting jobs as well as in attending to minor
injuries. The trainees of the course are given a first aid kit they use during
emergencies.
 7 have been placed in the NGO Placement programme.
 1 client works in a private sector.
 1 of the client is appearing for her Xth examinations and plans to join the
Placement Programme later.
 With the help of group discussion and meetings, women are able to express their
inner feeling which is quite helpful in gaining a better understanding about them.
Challenges
 Regular follow-up gets difficult with an increase in the number of trainees.
 The educational problems of their children and the financial problems of their
families prove an obstacle in the training and placement of the trainees.
77






After counselling, some trainees do not show interest in this programme as they
need money for solving their family problems and the stipend amount is
insufficient for them.
Some trainees demand private sector jobs which we are unable to provide.
Health problems in the family or of the client prove a challenge for trainees’
development.
The number of trainees is high when the sessions and trainings are organized at
the centre or in the institutions. But the number comparatively reduces when the
same sessions and trainings are organized outside due to the traveling involved
which has an effect on their household work.
The clients have high expectations regarding placement or jobs and want quick
results. When these expectations are not fulfilled, they vent out their anger on the
workers.
Availability of the appropriate place, sufficient finances and number of clients is a
big challenge while arranging programs outside.
Future Plans
 Once in week 2 exposure visits will be organized for the clients.
 The Pre Placement period will be from one month to three months.
 Later, within 3 months of completion of pre-placement, their placement in some
NGO will be finalized.
 Plan to arrange for overnight picnics, information and entertainment sessions.
 Plan to organize long term training in Self Defense and Karate.
 Plan to conduct short term course in Social Work.
78
Statistics – Pre-placement visits and sessions
Broad Services
Work with cases
Specific Services
Total Outreach
New Cases
Old Cases
Drop out cases
Replacement
Cases referred for placement
Visits for exploring new NGOs
Visits conducted
Ngo visits for follow up
Group exposure visits
Individual exposure visits
Local
Outstation
Provided information about NGO
placement
Provided training, session, workshop
Pursuing further training
Intervention
Provided
medical
assistance
(supportive)
Follow up visit for training & exposure
planning
Awareness sessions & training course
Meetings attended Meeting with trainees
Meeting with NGOs
Statistics
51
12
33
01
02
06
08
57
19
42
42
-35
Exposure Visits
Name of the NGO/institution
C.C. Shroff Self-help group
Sukh Shanti
Ashray
Tata Institute of Social Sciences
Kasturba MahilaVastigruha,
WIT (Mahim)
WIT ( Panvel)
ShramikVidyapeeth, Mumbai
Number of visits
to the
NGO/institution
02
04
03
03
03
01
01
01
79
Number of
trainees
04
01
01
07
01
05
12
01
60
07
02
25
07
10
21
Apnalaya
Nirmala Niketan
Old Age Home, Kopar Khairane
03
01
02
01
02
01
b. NGO Placement
Inputs and Interventions
 Pre-placement exposure and planning of exposure visits.
 Provide mentoring during placement.
 Addressing issues that impede on overall development (e.g. negative
relationships, family disturbances, shelter).
 Follow up of cases with regard to medical issues and stable shelter.
 Regular counseling provided to clients on their medical and personal problems.
 Regular guidance and information imparted to the clients about their family
reconnection, behavior problems, developing skills, educational support, etc.
 Finding shelter homes for medical problem cases.
 Identifying suitable placement agencies.
 Finding family issues and data for reconnection through home visits.
 Maintaining a follow up with NGOs to enquire about the clients’ progress in the
placement agencies.
 Meetings arranged with placement agencies and for trainees.
Outputs and Outcomes
 Women are able to live independently as they learn job skills and earn a stipend.
 They are motivated to work and reach a level where they take up job placement.
 They gain confidence that they are able to work and do savings for their future.
 A total of 10 women were enrolled in the placement programme.
 Trainees developed skills, were exposed to livelihood opportunities in the legal
sector.
 2 clients had to discontinue their placement as they were facing family problems.
Prayas supported them by provided family support and medical assistance.
 1 client was hospitalized in the Sewri TB hospital and after her discharge, Prayas
arranged for her shelter in Sukh Shanti. Later, she was shifted to Kasturba Mahila
Vastigruha but was kept there also for a limited time period as she was suffering
from TB. She has since been shifted to an NGO based in Ahmednagar, where is
settling down.
 Emergency shelter and medical was provided to 2 clients.
 1 client was hospitalized in Rajawadi hospital for a bone TB operation. After
continuous follow-up, the operation was successful and the hospital. Posthospitalization, Prayas maintained follow up with G.T Hospital, J.J.Hospital, Mata
Ramabai Hospital, Sewri TB Hospital and Rajawadi Hospital.
 13 exposure visits were conducted for the trainees to organizations like Khulla
Aasmaan, WIT, Cheeta Camp Health Post of M Ward-Govandi, Bal Anand,
Snehalaya and Ashray for placement.
 Trainees were placed in Shramik, Khulla Aasmaan, Cheeta Camp Health Post.
80
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

Exposure visits were conducted to the Family court and C.C.D.T for exploring
placement for our clients.
A group exposure visit was conducted to Ahmednagar district where the clients
were taken to Snehalaya organization, Snehadhar, Himatgram, Snehankur,
Snehalaya Mahila Vastigruha, Childline, a school and shelter for HIV(+) people,
N.I.O.S.
Good medical support was provided from the Rajawadi Hospital doctors and their
staff to one of our clients.
Challenges
 Client dropping out from the programme because of her health problems or crisis
in the family.
 Lack of shelter homes for the care and medication of T.B patients.
 High expectations of the placement agencies from our clients placed under the
Placement programme.
 Clients not satisfied with the present stipend amount being given to them.
 Demands of money by the clients in crisis situation.
 Many struggles involved in cases with severe medical problems needing operation
or costly medication.
Future Plans
 Exploring new NGOs for the placement programme.
 Maintaining regular follow-up with the placement agencies.
 Maintaining follow-up of clients’ medical needs.
 Counselling and meetings with clients and placement agencies.
 Need to explore new organizations for medical help and their long-term
rehabilitation.
 Need to explore up-country placements.
Statistics
Broad Services Specific Services
Work
with Total Outreach
cases
New cases
Statistics
10
04
Old cases
Drop out cases
Referred to other NGOs
Pursuing further training
Replacement
Medical cases
Provided medical assistance
81
06
03
01
05
02
02
02
Visits
conducted
Meetings
conducted
Home Visits
Finding new NGOs for placement
Visits to placement agencies
Group exposure visits
Individual visits
Visits to hospital
Follow up visits to Rajawadi Hospital,
Ghatkopar
Shelter visits to Ashray and KMV
Meeting with trainees
Meeting with placement agencies
Phone calls to clients and NGOs
01
13
21
13
08
25
17
14
24
95 calls
Awareness and information sessions conducted in Navjeevan Mahila Vastigruha
(NMV)
Sr. no
Name of activity / training
1.
NGO placement session
2.
Resource persons
Prayas
and
counsellor
Session on micro-finance Vaitarana
business (movie)
NMV
No. of
trainees
20
20
3.
Importance of education
4.
Information
placement
5.
Movies
6.
Session
on
management
7.
Session on savings
Post office personnel
10
8.
Dance therapy
Lyin (Ex-TISS student)
15
9.
One week (2 hrs) session on Nrityanjali
personality development
about
Prayas
05
NGO Prayas
07
TISS student
disaster BMC personnel
82
10
30
25
10.
First Aid
11
One
week
awareness Niramay Foundation
programme on health
St. John Ambulance (5 days) St. John Ambulance (4
days)
Personality development one Nrityanjali
week
Jamshedji Tata Ambulance Jamshedji Tata
College of First Aid 5 days
12.
13
14.
Broad Services
FPA
Specific Services
18
Statistics
Session
and Total outreach
information
Total cases picked through
sessions and information
25 women
04
Enrolled for SSC through
NIOS within institution
03
Arranged outside sessions
on first aid, Ambulance
college
4 days
Training in Red Cross of 3
days
01
Visits conducted Hospital visit at Govandi,
Hindu Mahasabha
05
NGO visit
20
Visit to Family court
01
BMC office
08
Follow-up visit
04
Follow-up visit for enrolling
education
25
Networking
02
with
other
83
15
12
20
15
NGO
Meeting
Meeting with NGOs
02
Inputs and Interventions
 Arranged session on placement, savings, skill development, first aid etc.
 Enrolled for SSC through NIOS within institution
 Help of Stree Mukti Sangathana for pre-marriage counseling of client and later
helping in the process of marriage.
 Visit made to family court for information and guidance
 Exploring placements and jobs in the health sector.
 Assisted in education related work (admission process, getting rough notes, study
material, Identity card follow up, hall-ticket, exam related work, sample question
paper, journals, assignments, etc.)
 Networking with Freedom Foundation and Oasis for release of a client and later
maintaining continuous follow-up for her exams related work.
 Connecting Khulla Aasaman with NMV for sessions and placement. Support for
education and one week observation viz. short placement of a week for those
released.
Outputs and Outcomes
1. Total outreach through sessions and information has been 25 women.
2. Sessions organized on First aid, Personality development, Dance therapy, savings,
Disaster management, NGO placement, etc.
3. 3 clients enrolled in education through NIOS for SSC.
4. NGO visits made to Jamshedji Tata Ambulance College, Red Cross, Govandi
hospital, Hindu Mahasabha Hospital, Ashray, Stree Mukti, Family court, STCI,
Niramay Foundation, BMC office, St. John Ambulance, FPA, Khulla Aasaman,
Radha Foundation.
Challenges
 Need for an appropriate system and rules with regard to referral of cases from
NMV and follow-up of cases especially in the absence of the NMV counselor.
 Lack of legal information among the women and also when information about
their property is not specified by the women in their reports.
 Giving information about schemes and their implementation is a sensitive issue as
accessing the same is a challenge leading to frustration among the residents.
84
Future Plans
 Placement in the government health sector as well as with NGOs.
 Formation of a Health Information Unit.
Training activities
In the month of April 2014, Prayas initiated the piece rate basis work where the inmates
made hand embroidery on bed sheets and quilts. A total of 9 trainees were involved in
this work and they completed a single bed sheet within 4-5 days while they took at least
15 days to complete a razai. The teachers maintained a register for the piece rate work
given to the inmates. And from time-to-time they would discuss and show the finished
products to the Counselor of Navjeevan Mahila Vastigruha (NMV). The payment for this
piece rate work was given to the inmates who had taken up the work at the time of their
release from the institution under the observation of the Probation Officer.
With regard to production, Prayas showed the trainees a variety of embroidery designs,
colour combination of threads, designs according to a product on the laptop. Besides this,
Prayas explained about the types of colours (primary and secondary), natural colours,
weaving, darning, the process of dyeing the threads etc. The trainees for the production
were selected on the basis of the finishing of their products, sense of responsibility of the
material given to them, time management, etc. We also imparted to them information
about the various production centres run by NGOs.
The vocational training teacher of Prayas imparted the training of basic and advanced
embroidery stitches to about 15 inmates. We provided them with a kit of embroidery
(cloth, needle, thread, ring, pencil, butter paper, carbon paper, plain paper, files and
designs).
In the month of May 2014, the teacher taught 15 inmates how to make flowers of
stocking, flower bouquets, saree broaches, hair broaches, hair bands, wall hangings,
decoration of photo frames with flowers, etc.
Another course in basic tailoring was also conducted by Prayas for 20 trainees where the
trainees were taught how to stitch children garments, gowns, frocks, careful use of the
sewing machine, basic sewing machine repairing, etc.
The piece rate work being given to the 9 inmates continued in this month also.
Prayas visited the Jan Shikshan Sansthan, Dharavi to plan out the government certified
fashion designing course for NMV trainees which was organized for 20 inmates in the
month of June 2014, The training were conducted for 3 hours daily which included basic
tailoring, fabric painting, embroidery, and zardosi work, making sketches, machine
embroidery, sequence work, etc. The course began with the teacher of Jan Shikshan
Sansthan and teacher of Prayas conducting a session on giving information about their
respective organizations i.e. Jan Shikshan Sansthan and Prayas. In the same session,
85
information regarding the course was also imparted i.e. the topic of fashion designing,
material required for this course , duration of the course, phases of the course, value of
certificates as well as theory book, sample file of each trainee, exams, etc. After this,
teacher taught them how to select and trace designs on cloth, basic stitches of
embroidery, etc.
In same month, Prayas conducted an activity of making decorative photo frames through
paper quilling in which 9 inmates actively participated.
A visit was conducted to the C.B. Kora Kendra to plan the training of masala making. A
letter information about the place, time, date and number of participants was submitted to
them.
In July 2014, the fashion designing course continued with the Jan Shikshan Sansthan
teacher teaching the trainees jardosi work on clothes, fabric painting and sequence work.
She gave 3 designs of each sample to them. Jan Shikshan Sansthan provided the trainees
with the basic material of fashion designing but since that material was not enough as per
the curriculum of the course, Prayas had to buy the additional material and give to the
trainees. So our teachers visited the Masjid wholesale market, Hindmata market and
Dadar market to buy the material. Some of the trainees did not know how to operate the
sewing machine so they practiced on the sewing machine daily for half an hour.
Due to the good response to the fashion designing course by the participating trainees, the
other inmates expressed an interest to learn embroidery. So through Jan Shikshan
Sansthan only, Prayas organized a 3 months certified training in embroidery for 20
trainees which would be conducted daily for 2 hours.
In the same month, besides the regular production work Prayas organized an activity on
jewellery making for 25 trainees where they were taught how to make 3 types of earrings,
kundan necklaces, simple moti malas, 3 types of bangles, etc.
In the 1st week of August 2014, Prayas conducted the seasonal activity of rakhi making
for 15 trainees. And in the second week, another activity on sand painting was arranged
for the same group. The trainees were taught how to draw designs of sand painting,
precautions to be taken while making sand paintings, material used in sand painting, how
to colour sand, which are permanent and temporary colours, etc. The trainees selected
their own designs from the book and made beautiful sand painting designs.
Later, in the third and fourth weeks of this month, Prayas organized a certified course of
masala making through C.B. Kora Kendra, Borivali for 20 trainees. In the training, they
were taught to prepare pav bhaji masala, garam masala, and malwani masala; sweet
lemon pickle, mixed vegetable schezwan pickle, and mango chhunda; mouth freshener
(mukhwas) and lemon ginger juice. For acquiring certificates of this course, Prayas had
to fill up forms and make a list of the trainees to be submitted to the office of C.B. Kora
Kendra. The 20 trainees were newly admitted into the institution whereby they had given
86
their false names. But later on getting to know the importance of the government course,
they gave their real names.
In the fashion designing course, the teachers of both the organizations took a practice of
using the sewing machine from the F.D trainees. Later, the teacher taught how to make
sketches on paper, how to make designs of frocks, Punjabi dresses, necklines, back
designs of blouses, gowns, use of colours and decorative material on the paper and
clothes. Prayas provided sheets of white paper for making the sketches and clothes for
making small size samples. We requested permission from the institution Superintendent
to take photographs of the trainees required for the admission forms and certificates
which was granted.
The batch of the embroidery course continued with the teacher teaching the trainees the
types of hand embroidery stitches.
In September 2014, as part of the fashion designing course, the trainees were taught how
to make samples of clothes with embroidery and fabric painting. Prayas provided files to
each trainee required to stick the paper samples. The trainees cut designs from magazines
to decorate the files further. With the help of the Prayas and NMV teachers, the JSS
teacher taught the trainees tie and dye, block printing.
On 11th September 2014, Prayas, JSS and NMV celebrated Literacy Day in the institution
for the inmates. As part of this celebration, they conducted various games such as lemon
spoon race, threading beeds in one second, shifting plastic glasses through soft blowing. 2
role plays and one puppet show were also arranged. The role plays were conducted by 3
groups of 10 inmates each who had practiced for 4 days. Total 40 trainees participated in
this celebration. JSS distributed Hindi books of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. The guests
who attended the programme were Shri Suresh Mangoankar, Programme Co-ordinator of
JSS, the Probation Officer, counselor, doctor and nurse of NMV.
In same month, Prayas imparted training to 15 trainees how to make eco–friendly
decorative items such as torans, makers (light lamps), garlands, gajras, venis and kanthis
required for the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi and Navratri. The materials used to make
these items were green or dry grass, fresh flowers and leaves.
Three new residents participated in the production work conducted regularly as compared
to the previous 9 residents.
In October 2014, the fashion designing course teacher of JSS taught the trainees machine
embroidery, children garments, ladies and children’s garments such as baby frock, saree
petticoat, salwar kameez, blouse etc. The trainees filed all paper samples in their
respective files. On completion of the course, the teacher conducted both the theory and
practical exams. As part of the practicals, the trainees made Punjabi tops with hand
embroidery. In the last week of this month, Prayas organised an exhibition of the fashion
designing products made by the trainees.
87
Similarly, the embroidery training also got completed in this month after which both the
theory and practical exams of the trainees were conducted.
Prayas also organised a 6 days certified course on paper conversion through C.B.Kora
Kendra for 20 trainees of NMV. The training would be conducted daily for 3 hours
which included making 3 types of paper files, book binding, pen stands, paper bags,
bottle covers, saree folders, etc.
Besides this, Prayas conducted activities like Diya Painting, Rangoli making, Kandil
making and greeting cards for the Diwali festival which was attended by 25 trainees. For
this, the workers visited Dharavi, Kumbhar wada and Masjid wholesale market for
purchasing diyas, colours, decorative material, rangoli and papers.
On 17th October 2014, Prayas participated in the NGO Mela organised by Neptune
Swarajya in Ambivali where we exhibited the embroidered bedsheets, paper bags, diyas,
greeting cards, agarbattis, etc. prepared by the NMV inmates during the trainings and
activities conducted in the institution.
In November 2014, Prayas conducted activities of teaching the different stitches of
crochet and knitting, making flower pots from newspapers, flower making from stockings
in which 20 trainees participated.
On 19th November 2014, Prayas organized a meeting of the NGOs working for the
inmates of Navjeevan Mahila Vastigruha to discuss the problems faced in the course of
their work in the institution. The issues discussed in the meeting were the problems faced
by NGOs while organizing various training activities, continuity of the NGO meetings,
time schedule of each NGO, co- ordination between all the NGOs, the phone calls issue
(where the inmates is permitted to call up her family within 21 days)
The activities conducted by Prayas in the month of December 2014, were embroidery,
crochet, knitting and production. As part of the production work, Prayas gave pieces of
jute cloth for embroidery to the inmates. 25 trainees were imparted training in making
flowers from organdy material. In the knitting and crochet activities, trainees made small
purses, sweaters, scarfs, mobile covers, etc. In this month, our old trainees participated in
the sweater, scarf, mobile cover training while the new trainees participated in the flower
making training. 8-10 trainees had gained good knowledge of tailoring whereby they
made small purses out of waste cloth.
On 3rd December 2014, the NGOs meeting was held in Navjeevan Mahila Vastigruha
and its agenda was to discuss the security problem, students’ problem, daily work of
Prayas and follow up of cases, permission letters of Prayas, time schedule of all NGOs,
organizing the Christmas party.
20 inmates released from NMV were ordered by the court to report once in a month to
the institution. When these women visited the institution, the Prayas workers briefed
88
them about the activities of Prayas and connected them with the Prayas rehabilitation unit
worker.
In the month of January 2015, the activities continued by Prayas in NMV were flower
making, giving piece rate work and tailoring activity. New trainees wanted to learn
crochet so the teacher taught them basic stitches of crochet making.
Prayas organised a one day workshop on street plays for 35 inmates through Mobile
Creches organization. In the workshop, the trainees were taught about what is a street
play, how to do action, how to write the theme of street plays, where should they do the
street plays, how to collect public during the street plays, and the impact of conducting
street plays. The trainees were divided into 4 groups and given 4 topics for the street
plays such as dowry, respect of woman, literacy and girl child. In the 1st half of the day,
they taught the trainees actions of different human beings, exercises, etc. In the 2nd half
they taught them about writing of the street play theme, how to choose the characters,
who takes responsibility, group initiative, qualities of group, where do they conduct the
street plays, how to collect audience during the street play and how to present their issue
through street plays in public.
On 6th January 2015, Prayas organised a 6 days course on fancy bag making for 20
inmates through C.B. Kora Kendra where the trainees were taught to make samosa bag,
college bag, tiffin bag, mobile pouch and multi-purpose pouch.
In February 2015, Prayas conducted activities for 10 inmates of teaching them to make
photo frames from cardboard decorated with paper quills, greeting cards of quilling
stripes and small red rose bouquets.
On 11th February’15, the case management meeting was held in Navjeevan Mahila
Vastigruha where 3 cases were presented and discussed. Save the Children organization
had helped in cases who wanted to do home business.
The workers visited the NGO Mela organised by Concern India Foundation in Kala
Ghoda. Prayas visited ARDSI organization located near J.J. Hospital. They had organised
a two month course for care givers. During the course, they gave a stipend of Rs.1000/and traveling allowance to each trainee who had completed the full course. The trainees
were given government certificates as well as job placement on completion of the course.
In March, 2015, the workers took a practice of the fancy bag making training and also
initiated a new two days training of gift wrapping paper bags. In the third week of March
2015, Prayas organized the training of making items from cloth rags (chindi).
A meeting related to case management was organized in Navjeevan Mahila Vastigruha
where the NGOs working in this institution presented the cases being handled by them.
Besides this, issues such as future rehabilitation plans of the cases, property issues of
these cases, follow up of the Maher Yojana, shelter issue, legal aid issue etc. were also
discussed.
89
Outputs and Outcomes
Prayas provided training kits to the trainees who had attended the training programmes.
With the help of these training kits the inmates made their own designs and items. During
the trainings, trainees displayed a lot of patience, which indicated their interest in the
trainings. Most of the trainees were able to complete their samples as most of the time
they were busy making samples.
12 trainees were involved in the production/piece rate work which helped them earn
money and also raised their confidence and responsibility in taking up similar work in
future. The women completed their work within the time bound period. They also
maintained an account of how much they had earned. At the time of their discharge from
the institution, this money was handed over to them in front of the Probation Officer.
During the flower making training, the trainees learnt to make small sari broaches, hair
broaches, and hair bands. One of the trainees made flowers out of net cloth which she
decorated on a frock.
From the embroidery training the trainees learnt about the various types of stitches such
as running stitch, kashmiri stitch, satin stitch, back stitch, feather stitch, run and darn
stitch, chain stitch, double chain stitch, fish bone stitch, etc. They also gained knowledge
of the types of materials to be used, colour combination of clothes as well as thread, how
to charge according to size of the design, material used in the product, etc.
In the basic tailoring course, trainees were given information and practical knowledge
about how to use the sewing machine, the types of sewing machines, types of needles,
threading, types of stitches, oiling and basic repairing of sewing machines.
20 trainees actively participated in the fashion designing training where they learnt how
to select and trace designs according to the product for e.g cushion cover, bed sheets,
neck design of dress, sari border, table cloths etc., what type of precautions are to be
taken during fashion designing, the importance of fashion designing training. The impact
of this training was that another 20 trainees showed interest in learning embroidery
training which was organized through JSS only.
Prayas celebrated the Literacy Day and distributed books from Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.
Trainees were encouraged to attend the literacy class conducted by Khulla Aasmaan as
they showed interest to learn. Now the inmates are able to sign and read books of Sarva
Shiksha Abhiyan.
Masala making course was completed actively for which the 26 trainees received
government certificates from C.B. Kora Kendra. We distributed to the trainees xerox
copies of the recipes. In the masala making training, trainees learnt 3 types of masalas
(pav bhaji masala, garam masala, Malwani masala); 3 types of pickle (sweet lemon
pickle, mixed vegetable schezwan pickle and mango chunda); 2 types of mukhwas. After
90
a discussion with the Superintendent of NMV the workers were able to convince her to
permit use of the prepared masalas in the vegetable and mutton curries made in the
institution whereby the trainees and other inmates were able to enjoy the taste of the
learnt masalas. During the training many trainees shared the recipes known to them. 5-6
trainees who hailed from West Bengal informed how they could not purchase the
ingredients on large quantity for stock purpose due to lack of money.
15 trainees actively participated in the training of eco-friendly maker making, garlands,
gajras, venis and kanthis.
25 trainees learnt rangoli design, decorative diyas and greeting cards making during the
training. The Superintendent of NMV during Diwali gifted the authorities of DWCD,
workers of Prayas, NMV and the trainees with a gift of 2 diyas, greeting card and a paper
bag.
Through the certified training in paper conversion conducted by C.B. Kora Kendra, 20
trainees learnt to make sari folders, bottle covers, 3 types of files, pen stands, paper bags,
book binding, etc.
After release from the institution, the trainees who had participated in the certified
courses during their stay in NMV contact the workers for certificates and question the
importance of the training with regard to earning money.
The NGO meetings proved helpful in raising some issues and discussion of some cases.
On questioning the NMV authorities of the provisions of ITPA with regard to the
victims’ right of contacting their families, the authorities explained that only after 21 days
are the victims permitted to call because on arrival in the institution, they want to contact
other people besides their family members.
The workers tried to motivate the released women from NMV to participate in the
various Prayas programmes conducted outside due to having developed a good rapport
with them during their stay in the institution.
35 inmates actively participated in the street play training while 40 inmates participated
as audience during the street plays. Out of the 3 groups formed during the training, the
group who chose the dowry issue practiced daily and then performed the street play
during the Hungama Party organised by Save the Children in Navjeevan Mahila
Vastigruha.
During the crochet training, the trainees prepared a sample file of crochet stitches. 5
trainees made small money purses, square table cloths while 5 other trainees prepared
sweaters, mufflers and socks.
10 inmates who actively participated in the photo frames with paper quills training made
pen stands, small greetings with paper quill designs.
91
20 trainees through their participation in the fancy bag making training conducted by
C.B. Kora Kendra were able to learn samosa bag, college bag, tiffin bag, mobile pouch,
and multi-purpose pouch.
20 trainees actively participated in the training of making paper bags for gift wrapping
conducted by Prayas and 10 trainees participated in Waste from Best of chindi training
where they made crochet dusters and have shown interest in preparing yoga mats from
the chindi material.
2 meetings conducted in NMV on case management and meeting with NGOs has helped
in providing a platform to raise related issues and conduct discussions on the cases being
handled.
Challenges
 When the women are discharged and go back home or are repatriated to their
home state, the residents who are left behind get disturbed as their team members
are not present for the on-going trainings.

This year most of female residents were from family backgrounds having children
whereby during their stay in the institution they were disturbed and tense about
the condition of their children.

Due to lack of appropriate legal knowledge the clients or their families spend
more money for the legal process through lawyers.

In some cases, the rescued residents’ property is kept in the respective police
station which the police cannot hand over to Protective Home whereby after their
discharge from the institution the clients call up the Prayas workers in regard to
their property issue.

The Maher Yojana has not been well activated as the women came take benefit of
it at least 3-4 times. And the Protective Home staff is unable to implement the
new GR.

Due to some incidents in the institution, the Superintendent of NMV has tightened
the security in the institution. This affects the work as workers have to keep their
bags as well as mobile phones in a room in the office. It becomes difficult at times
to contact anyone as the landline of the institution is also not in working
condition.

The rescued women who are kept in the institution and are from Mumbai are
unable to contact their families as the staff of NMV can neither call their families
nor pay home visits, whereby the women question as to why cannot they be
released immediately despite hailing from Mumbai.
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Future Plans
 To motivate the trainees to attend Prayas NGO Placement Programme (Pre
placement and placement programme).
 To conduct various activities like embroidery, knitting, flower making etc.
 Organize certified trainings in Navjeevan Mahila Vastigruha (NMV).
 Organize awareness sessions on health issues in NMV.
 Provide trainees work on piece-rate basis.
 Build relationship with trainees to take different activities inside the NMV
 Discuss problems of inmates and their concern issue with Superintendent,
probation officer, counselor or in any other fora.
93
Statistics
Broad Services Specific Services
Statistics
631
Work
with Total outreach
cases
New Cases
134
Old Cases
497
Dropout cases from training
86
Visits to NGOs for exploring employment
-Visits
opportunities
conducted
Visits to NGOs for exploring training opportunities
14
Orientation visits with trainees (3 trainees)
-Follow-up visits
26
Visits to hospital
01
Visits to court
--Interventions
Training programmes conducted
Certified courses organized
05
Trainings conducted by Prayas staff
19
Practice follow-up of certified courses
-Employment provided
New Cases
-Old Cases
04
Support provided during health problems
02
Meetings with NGOs regarding progress of the clients
07
Meetings with DWCD (NGO meeting and case
4
management meeting
Statistics of NMV inmates attending the trainings and activities conducted by Prayas
Months
Old cases New cases Total cases Drop out cases
10
1
11
2
April’14
7
9
16
1
May’14
15
20
35
1
June’14
34
21
55
3
July’14
52
5
57
9
August’14
48
10
58
1
September’14
57
8
65
13
October’14
52
21
73
12
November’14
61
3
64
8
December’14
56
9
65
7
January’15
58
4
62
14
February’15
47
23
70
15
March’15
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Citizenship Rights and Information on Schemes
Inputs and Interventions
 Counseling and guidance for developing rapport with clients and giving
information to clients about citizenship rights, enrolling in government schemes
and also motivate clients to acquire citizenship documents..
 Visits to bank offices to motivate clients for opening bank accounts as it is part of
their citizenship rights.
 Visits to rationing offices for clients’ ration cards and also enrolling various
schemes through various government circulars.
 Visits to Aadhar offices for issuing of clients’ Aadhar cards.
 Arrange workshops on various government schemes for Prayas clients through the
various government departments.
 Arranging joint meetings with clients’ families for resolving their problems.
 Collecting information about various schemes of different departments.
 Attending regular meetings of Rationing Kruti Samiti, a federation of NGOs
working on issues related to food subsidy and rationing schemes.
 Guidance provided to clients in regard to acquiring ration cards, bank accounts,
caste certificates, Jan Dhan Yojana, Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojana, electricity
bill.
 Follow up for getting caste certificate of 1 client.
 Renovation of an unorganized sector ration card of 1 client through the rationing
department.
 Follow up of incomplete structure of client’s house through the Gharkul scheme.
 Follow up with the rationing office for getting a new ration card of 1 client.
 Follow up with bank manager for transferring the savings account to the Jan Dhan
scheme of 1 client.
 Preparing the Domicile, Income certificate documents of 1 client for enrolling
into the Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojana.
 Meeting with NGO Khulla Aasmaan planning of paying 1 client’s home
maintenance and other issues.
 Arranged one day workshop on citizen rights and principles for trainees.
 Arranged sessions in NMV on documents like ration card, bank card, election
card, Aadhar card etc. which was attended by 70 women.
Workshops organized
An awareness workshop was organized on 23rd September, 2014 on government schemes
for the Prayas’ trainees. The workshop consisted of four different sessions where people
from various government departments had come and delivered the information. The
sessions conducted were:
1) Session by Labour department (Central Employers Education Board)
2) Session by Health department
3) Session by Department of Women & Child Development
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4) Session by BMC
The first session was broadly based on the motivational speech of Shri Abhijit Chawak,
Education Officer, and was focused on worker capacity building. The speaker gave
information about various schemes such as IT training programmes of tailoring,
electrician, computer training, etc. for women available at Dadar. He also gave
information about the schemes like Skill Development Initiative Scheme (SDIS), Pradhan
Mantri Jandhan Yojana, Rastriya Swasth Bima Yojana, Swayam Shayta group, etc.
The second session was conducted by Dr. Madan and Dr. Sandeep Gaikwad on health
issues like Arogya Kendra, T.B, birth and death certificates, etc.
In the third session, information about Maher Yojana was given by Ms. Ashwini Dighe,
District Probation Officer of Department of Women & Child Development.
Work done with regard to bank accounts
Bank accounts of two clients were opened. Two clients presently housed in Sukh Shanti
were counseled about opening a Recurring Deposit account and explained the advantages
the same. Their RD accounts were opened of Rs. 500/- p.m. One of these clients has been
an inmate of Navjeevan Mahila Vastigruha while another is an orphan girl who has lived
in various institutions since childhood.
Work done with regard to ration card
One of our clients has a ration card but she was not given ration from the ration shop. So
the worker visited the Tehsil office and met the Tehsildar and submitted a letter for issue
of rations to the client. After the respective procedure, she was enrolled in the BPL
category under the Act of Rights to Food.
Work with regard to other government schemes
The worker met the C.D.O for clients entitled for the benefits of the Sanjay Gandhi
Niradhar Yojana who explained to clients about the scheme and the documents required
to avail the benefits.
Follow-up was maintained with DWCD in regard to the women in institutions for their
voting card and rights of voting.
The MHADA Office was visited by the worker to enquire about Indira Awas Yojana and
Integrated Housing Development Programme for urban areas.
One client studying for 10th class was in need of the Aadhar Card. But the shelter home in
which she was living was not willing to sign on the application form as introducer
whereby the Prayas social worker signed as the Introducer and helped the client get the
Aadhar Card slip.
96
Meetings with NGOs/ Government departments
1) Case management with Prem Sagar about child documents and shelter problem.
2) Meeting Probation Officer of Kasturba Mahila Vastigruha regarding the inmates’
Election Cards and their election rights.
3) Meeting with RKS on issues regarding rationing problems. GRs, Act, rights,
policy, etc.
Outputs and Outcomes
 Arranged joint meetings with clients’ family and clients reconnected to the family.
 Clients gained information about the schemes of DWCD, MHADA, food and
cicilo supplies department, health department, and labour department.
 1 client helped in regard to the change of her name.
 Ration cards of 5 clients got issued.
 1 client connected to Special Cell for her family problem.
 Regular guidance provided to clients about updating and renovation documents.
 1 client opened her ration card and then fixed an electric meter box.
 Attended workshop on Right to Food and its implementation.
 26 clients provided guidance for acquiring ration card, Aadhar card, Pan Card,
bank account etc.
 Opened savings accounts in bank for 2 clients.
 Through the guidance of Prayas, many clients have gained knowledge about the
various documents required to avail the benefit of any government schemes and
thus they are independently trying to acquire the documents.
 A Jan Dhan Yojana account of 1 client was opened with zero balance.
Challenges
 Unable to maintain continuity in assistance to the clients because of them leaving
the shelter home and not maintaining any communication with us, health
problems, etc.
 Many problems faced due to insufficient documents available with the clients to
avail the benefit of the various government schemes.
 Another obstacle is the lengthy process involved in getting a new document.
 One needs to maintain a long term follow-up in acquiring the various documents.
 The UID card is a compulsory requirement for enrolling into the Jan Dhan Yojana
and also to open the Yojana account in the bank. Thus, it has become difficult to
open the bank accounts due to some of our clients not having the UID card.
 Difficulty faced in acquiring new ration cards for clients who live on rent basis.
 A client wanted to avail the benefit of the Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojana but her
Income certificate and Domicile which she had acquired from the Tehsildar office
97
were destroy in a fire where she also lost her house. Prayas is facing difficulty in
acquiring new documents for the client.
Future Plans
 Assessment of a client’s documents.
 Opening bank account and Recurring Deposit account of a client who is in
placement programme.
 Maintain a follow-up in a client’s case regarding availing benefit of the Sanjay
Gandhi Niradhar Yojana.
 Assist in acquiring the caste certificate of one client.
 Attend RKS meetings for raising our clients’ rationing issues.
 Follow-up with regarding to acquiring the Ration Card of one client.
 Arrange session on Jan Dhan Yojana and other government schemes for the
clients.
 Assist in enrolling the name of one client in Right to Food scheme.
 Try to get new UID cards for 20 clients who want to avail of the Jan Dhan
Yojana.
98
Broad Services
Work with cases
Interventions
Visits conducted
Meetings
attended
Specific Services
Statistics
Total outreach
24
Counseling and Guidance
26
Help extended for acquiring ration card
05
Help extended for acquiring rations from
02
the rationing shop
Help extended for opening a recurring
-account
Help extended for opening a savings bank
02
account
Help extended for acquiring Adhar card
01
Help extended for acquiring election card
-Help extended for electric meter
01
Process for caste certificate
01
Process for ration card
05
Home visits
17
Visits to shelter institutions
03
Visits to banks
09
Visit to MMRDA office
-Visit to rationing office
30
Visit to NGOs
04
Visit to Adhar office
04
Visit to court
Visit to Collector office , Tehsil and
09
Talathi office
Visit to Mantralaya
-Visit to Government departments
04
Attended the Rationing Kriti Samiti
12
meetings
99
Work with Male Youth
Youth Development Centre (YDC) and NGO Placement (Male)
Inputs and Interventions
 Educational, awareness and recreational activities provided at the Youth
Development Centre, Mumbai.
 Emergency assistance such as medical support, shelter, police station visit,
rationing and legal aid provided, as per need.
 Referrals for short and long term vocational training courses.
 Exposure visits and placement of trainees in NGOs.
 Counselling
 Family support
 Provide assistance with acquiring citizenship rights documents
Outputs and Outcomes
 Total outreach of 30 clients.
 09 clients supported through short-term training courses in YDC
 Temporary shelter arranged for 10 clients.
 Counseling provided to 30 clients.
 Medical support arranged for 13 clients.
 Family support provided to 03 clients.
 Educational support arranged for 1 client.
 Provided vocational training through NGOs for 15 clients.
 NGO Placement arranged for 13 clients.
 Job placement arranged for 04 clients.
 Repatriation arranged for 03 clients.
 22 court visits, legal aid provided for 06 clients.
 06 clients found employment through their own efforts.
 01 client found job through Prayas programme
Challenges

Difficulty in responding to emergency situations like shelter, medical and food
especially for clients without family support due to lack of sufficient manpower.

Very few NGOs with residential facilities in Mumbai.

In cases of addiction, lot of time and effort is needed resulting in limited focus on
placement programme.

Due to clients’ addiction problems, there are problems at the night shelters which
need to be handled by the social worker.
100
Future Plans
 To explore NGOs that offer residential shelter to clients without family support.
 To reduce the number of emergency situations in the life of clients.
 Personality development through music and camp arrangements for YDC clients.
 To build up a cultural activity group.
 To arrange health related sessions for client group and related NGO placement.
 To develop aftercare program in Thane and Kalyan districts.
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Statistics
Broad areas
Number of trainees
Specific services
Total outreach
Family based clients (Mumbai)
Upcountry based clients
Old cases
New cases
Social Awareness sessions
Activities conducted
Visits conducted
Other services
Participation in cultural activities
Training - Short term
Home visits
Court visits
Police station visits
Follow-up visits of trainees on
placement
Follow-up visits of trainees on
Shelter Homes
NGO exposure visits
Arranging shelter
Counselling
Providing medical support
Providing family support
Providing educational support
Providing vocational training
Placement in NGO
Job placement
Repatriation
Legal aid
Found employment on their own
102
Statistics
30
22
08
20
10
2 sessions
conducted (6
clients)
-09
41
22
18
55
49
27
10
30
13
03
01
15
13
04
03
06
06
Youth Development Camp
Venue – Holiday Home, Maharashtra State Aftercare Association, Mahabaleshwar
Date – March 25-26, 2015.
Participants – Prayas staff and clients - 26 participants, including 19 clients.
Objective of the workshop – organizing sessions on life skills, vocational guidance and
personality development for male youth clients released from prison.
Topics:
 Stress Management
 Information about vocational training and education
 Opportunities for employment, obstacles and how to overcome them.
 Importance of self-confidence / faith in life and its importance.
 Experience of the youth about NGO Placement Programme.
Day I
Session I: Stress Management conducted by Mr. Chandrakant Munde, Member of SSC
Board Committee. He provided guidance through personality development and how to
develop their vocational, educational and employment opportunities.
Session II: Sharing of experiences regarding NGO Placement Programme.
Session III: Playing football and volley ball.
Session IV: Trust walk, exercise conducted by Mr. Chandrakant Shinde, Prayas Social
Worker.
Day II
Session I: Exposure visit to Bel Air Hospital and providing information about the hospital
and their services, through film screening and discussion.
Provided information about problems and treatment of people living with HIV/AIDS,
followed by interaction with people living with HIV/AIDS.
In the discussion the social worker from the hospital and Prayas social worker discussed
about Prayas NGO Placement Programme and about availability of the job placement at
the hospital. The discussion focused on provision of health services in remote areas. The
youth clients were encouraged by the work done by the hospital.
Session II: In the evening, an exposure visit to the natural environment increased group
interaction among the youth.
103
Through the workshop clients freely shared their life experiences and enjoyed the
workshop.
104
Prayas Mentoring Unit
NGO Forum
The objective of the Forum is to bring together the NGOs working in the field of criminal
justice. Seven organizations working on the various issues of criminal justice have been
brought together. Till now, the NGO Forum has been successful in capacity building and
enhancing the knowledge base of the partners.
Inputs and Interventions
Despite making efforts, no meeting of the NGO Forum was held due to various reasons,
all the members are in regular touch with each other and discuss issues in the field. A
newsletter of the NGO Forum newsletter called Dialogues in Criminal Justice and
Rehabilitation is published on a quarterly basis to create a platform for expression of
ideas and experiences for sharing by stake holders in the field of criminal justice.
Outputs and Outcomes
 A Special Issue on Children of Prisoners has been brought out recently.

Members of the NGO Forum are in regular touch with each other around issues of
common interest.

A meeting of NGOs was organised by the Prison Department chaired by the Addl.
DG Prisons with the support of Prayas. It was decided that such meetings would
be held once a year to improve communication with the prison department.
Challenges
 Sustaining the momentum of the Forum is a challenge.
 NGOs are caught up in their daily work and do not find time to engage in the Forum
building work in a serious way.
 Building the leadership is challenging due to host of reasons mentioned above.
Future Plans
 Coordinate the work of the NGO Forum as a joint venture with one of the partner
organisations to maintain its continuity.
 Organise trainings and workshops on field issues for members of the Forum.
105
Bharuch Unit
a. Bharuch Sub Jail Male Section
Statistics
Broad Services
Total Outreach
Specific Services
Statistics
Intervention in cases
64
Old cases
28
New cases
36
Outreach through awareness program
Information giving sessions/ training
/
82
For Aadhar Cards
Legal Aid
Advice
Vocational
training
/ Number of clients provided legal aid
48
New cases
30
Old cases
14
Number of applications written
68
Number of cases referred to DLSA
28
Discussion with Magistrates
08
Legal Advice
93
Discussion with Advocate
08
Computer Training for Male Inmates
31
Family Support Number of family members supported
05
New cases
--
Old cases
05
Medical Support
--
Support for training
--
106
Encouraging
Education
Amongst
Inmates
Support
to
Inmates
for
getting benefit
of government
schemes
Support for Education
--
Legal Support
05
Benefit of government schemes
--
Number of clients encouraged to pursue
education
43
Number of educational awareness programs
--
Visits to Schools /Educational institutes to
collect documents needed for continuing
education
71
Visits to resource person/agencies
36
Visits to family to obtain support for clients’
education
16
No. of inmates supported to get benefit of
government schemes
--
Visits to government agencies to collect
information related to government schemes for
inmates
23
Total number of clients given information
about Government schemes
--
Meeting
with Meeting with I.G. Prison
Jail
Administration Meeting with Jail Superintendent
Visits
01
24
Meeting with Jailor
26
Meeting with Welfare Officer
03
Visit to Prisons
63
Visits to Courts
24
Visits to Police Stations
--
Home Visits
20
107
Visit to State/
Authority
District
Legal
Services
13
Visit to government organization
05
Visit to Banks
--
Phone calls
63
Visit to NGOs
--
Visit to Superintendent of Police
--
Visit to hospital
04
The social worker intervenes in prison with the objective of reaching out to inmates,
providing them with legal aid and advice, contacting family members and providing
support when needed. Whenever required, the worker follows up with advocates of
District Legal Aid Services Authority for the cases of prison inmates. The social worker
also conducts group discussions with prison inmates on various issues like getting benefit
from government schemes, importance of vocational training, importance of Aadhar card
etc. In the course of his work this year, the social worker conducted discussions with the
inmates on vocational trainings like electrician, plumbing, Turner & Fitter and related
employment.
This year, 68 legal applications were written out of which 36 inmates got free legal aid
advocates from District Legal Services Authority. Eight inmates were acquitted in their
cases by the court while 17 inmates were released on bail and cases of the other prisoners
are pending in the court.
Case 1
Ramesh (name changed) was arrested u/s 302, 364, 365, 396, 201, 120-B IPC and his
case was pending in Surat Sessions Court since 8 years. The Prayas worker supported the
inmate in writing a legal application to Gujarat High Court to expedite the case or release
him on bail. As a result, the Gujarat High Court ordered the Sessions Court in Surat to
pass the final orders in the case by 15th January, 2015, failing which the Gujarat High
Court would grant him bail.
Encouraging Education amongst Inmates
1. Literacy programme in prison continued under Sakshar Bharat KaryakramSaraswati Yatra through which 36 inmates appeared for their V class exams.
108
2. Bharuch Sub Jail Administration encourages prison inmates to continue education
through Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University. Worker follows up with
inmates and initiates discussions with them so that the inmates are clear about
their doubts about which courses to take, its importance, and how to go about it.
3. Prayas continued to follow up in the cases of two prison inmates who were
appearing for F.Y.B.A. and T.Y.B.A. exams externally from Veer Narmad South
Gujarat University (VNSGU). The worker supported the family in filling up the
examination form, co-ordinated with the college and arranged for study material.
One inmate was supported to get advocate from free legal aid to put up bail
application so as to appear for the exam. The inmate got bail and appeared for the
exam and got ATKT (Allowed to Keep Terms) result in one subject of the second
semester. The follow-up is going on so that he can appear for his ATKT exam.
His first semester result is also pending and thus the worker and the inmate’s
family are following up with VNSGU for the results
4. Prayas has to put in a lot of efforts to get legal aid lawyer for the inmates to put in
bail applications. Besides this, the worker also had to follow up in the court as
both the students were facing problems in getting bail. Thus, the worker had to
bring this issue to the notice of the District Judge.
5. The inmate appearing for his T.Y.B.A. exam got released on bail. After his
release also, the worker supported him to continue his education. He appeared for
his T.Y.B.A. exam and has passed. Before imprisonment, the client had some
experience in photography and thus expressed a need to be supported in pursuing
a course in photography for which the Prayas workers are exploring options of
financial help to the client.
Educational Awareness Programmes in Prison
Prayas has followed with colleges in Bharuch to organize educational awareness
programmes in Bharuch Sub Jail and has obtained their consent for the same. But as
maintenance work is going on inside the prison, permission for the same was not granted
by Prison Superintendent.
Vocational Training in Bharuch Sub Jail (Male Section)
There had been various discussions with inmates on the importance of vocational training
during their stay in the prison as well as their interests. As a result, the inmates had
expressed need for vocational training. The inmates had expressed interest in 3 trades:
a. Training in Tailoring
b. Training in Electric repairing(electrician)
c. Basic course in Computer
The list of clients willing to undergo a training was prepared according to the interest of
the clients. The Prayas workers also followed up with the I.G. office in obtaining the
necessary permission required for conducting the trainings inside the prison. From I.G.
office permission was obtained to organize 2 trainings in male section.
109
Thereafter, the workers explored training agencies willing to impart training to prison
inmates and also provide them with certificates. Finally, Baroda Swarojgar Vikas
Sansthan (Baroda RSETI) agreed to organize a vocational training programme in Basic
Computers. The total training cost for 35 clients was worked out to Rs.40,000/- out of
which Prayas contributed Rs.25,000/- and BSVS contributed Rs.15,000/-.
To successfully organize this training in the prison, the Prayas worker had to coordinate
intensively between the prison staff, BSVS officials, trainers and the prison inmates.



There were no tables inside the prison for placing the computers. So the Prayas
worker coordinated with a school in Bharuch and was able to get 21 tables inside
the prison for a temporary period of one month
As the training was to commence at 11.00 a.m., the worker followed up with the
Superintendent and the kitchen staff so that lunch is served early to the trainees.
Worker also coordinated with the Superintendent in acquiring a special room for
conducting theory classes.
Outcome of the Training
1. Initially 34 clients registered for the training out of which 4 inmates were released
on bail while the training was still going on. 31 clients successfully completed one
month course in Basic Computers which was a full time course (from 11a.m.to
4.30p.m.) which included both theory as well as practical knowledge.
2. One of the objectives of the training was to reach out to the inmates, build rapport
and give information about Prayas activities to the inmates. During the training,
many inmates approached Prayas for legal support. One of the clients discussed
the need for family support for which he was referred to our aftercare worker.
3. Two clients who were released after completion of the training approached Prayas
for assistance. One client had approached Prayas with a request for a loan from a
government scheme and another client had approached with a request to gain
some financial support for the education of his daughter.
4. Some of the inmates got released before the completion of training due to which
two clients from them approached Prayas with a request to gain assistance to
undergo some vocational training outside.
5. 3 inmates have also approached Prayas for continuing their education.
Parole and Furlough
Worker followed up in 4 cases to expedite the process of parole and furlough for the
convicted prisoners of Bharuch Sub Jail and Vadodara Central Prison (3 inmates from
Vadodara Central Prison and 1 inmate from Bharuch Sub Jail) with the SP office,
Collector office and IG office.
110
Co-ordination with District Legal Services Authority (DLSA)
DLSA co ordinates with Prayas to organize legal awareness programme in Bharuch Sub Jail
as part of their planning. Workers of Prayas remain present during these programmes and co
ordinate between the prison inmates and the officers of DLSA. Presence of worker during the
trainings is helpful in elevating the clients’ confidence to raise questions and issues regarding
court matters in front of the DLSA officers and magistrates. This coordination in turn helps
Prayas worker in court to gain support for the legal matters of the inmates.
Kaidi Sahay Yojana
Prayas coordinates with inmates, their families, jail staff and officers of District Samaj
Suraksha office so as to help families of convicted families get the benefit of the Kaidi
Sahay Yojana.
The Prayas worker assists the clients and their families in the following ways:
 Filling up the form
 Home visits
 Support family members to collect necessary documents to be submitted
 Support the family members to reach District Samaj Suraksha Adhikari
 Assisting the family members with travelling expenses to reach the concerned
officers
 Coordination with the Samaj Suraksha Department in the cases where the family
members do not have necessary documents
This year, the worker supported family members of 3 convicted inmates to avail the
benefit of the Kaidi Sahay Yojana.
Visit to the prisons in other districts, District Legal Services Authority and NGOs in
that district
Objectives of the Visits
1. To visit district prisons to gain information regarding the issues of the inmates of
that particular prison in context of welfare and rehabilitation of prisoners.
2. To understand role of District Legal Services Authority concerning legal aid to
prison inmates.
3. To get information about NGOs working in that prison and whether the NGOs
can be encouraged to extend their scope of work keeping in mind the
rehabilitation of the inmates.
4. To visit NGOs in the district to get information about their work, discuss with
them possibility of initiating work in prison, and coordinating with them for NGO
placement programme of Prayas.
5. To visit District Samaj Suraksha Adhikari to get information about
implementation of the Probation of Offenders Act, 1958 in the district
111
Keeping in mind the above objectives, three workers of Prayas visited Vadodara, Nadiad
and Ahmedabad.
During their visit to Vadodara, the workers visited
1. Vadodara Central Prison
2. Department of Samaj Suraksha
3. District Legal Services Authority
During their visits to Nadiad, the workers visited
1. Nadiad District Jail
2. Department of Samaj Suraksha
3. District Legal Services Authority
4. District Child Protection Unit
5. Navsarjan Trust
During their visits to Ahmedabad, the workers visited
1. Ahmedabad Central Prison
2. I. G. Prisons office
3. Department of Samaj Suraksha
4. State Legal Services Authority
5. Vishwa Gujarati Samaj, Ahmedabad
6. Dastak
7. Yogashkeme
Output of the Visits
- There is definite need for presence of a social worker in prisons.
- While visiting 2 central prisons, issue of children of prisoners (left outside)
clearly emerged. It was realized that many prisoners loose contact with their
children if they are convicted for long years of imprisonment.
- The long term convicts also faced many issues relating to property and land.
In their absence from home, their land has been encroached upon by others.
- The District Legal Services Authority is not active in the district places.
Awareness Programmes for Family Members of the Inmates
It has been the experience of Prayas workers that family members of the inmates face
many difficulties and challenges for obtaining legal support for the accused. They face
problems with regard to obtaining citizenship documents, and lack information about the
various government schemes and how to avail their benefits. They are not aware about
educational and vocational programmes run by both government and non- governmental
organisations in the district and so on.
112
Keeping the above issues in mind, Prayas planned to organize a series of awareness
programme for the family members of the prison inmates whereby this year we were able
to organize two such awareness programmes on the issues of Legal Awareness and
Citizenship Rights documents.
Legal Awareness Programme
A Legal Awareness Programme was organized for the family members of the prison inmates
in November 2014. During this programme, officers from State Legal Services Authority
(SLSA) and District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) were invited as resource persons.
From SLSA, the Project Officer of SLSA attended the programme as a resource person while
the Secretary, DLSA, 6th Additional Senior Civil Judge, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate,
Bharuch, the 2rd Additional Senior Civil Judge and Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate,
Bharuch, attended the programme as resource persons on behalf of DLSA. Besides this, a
private advocate was also invited as a resource person and the Bharuch Sub-Jail
Superintendent and in-charge also attended the inaugural session of the programme.
Prayas had prepared a detailed note on issues and difficulties faced by clients at the field
level, and had given to the resource person well before the programme, so that they are aware
of the issues and difficulties faced by the clients and could provide the information
accordingly.
42 family members attended this programme and they were encouraged to ask questions
regarding their pending legal matters in courts. The resource persons gave detailed
information regarding services of Legal Services Authority and answered questions of the
clients’ related issues and problems faced by them to avail the services and in court
processes. The private advocate explained to the clients the court process in a very detailed
manner which solved much confusion of the clients regarding court proceedings.
Outcome of the Programme
1. 42 family members attended the Programme.
2. Jailor, Bharuch sub jail was also present in the programme. He could actually observe
till what level Prayas extends support to client in relation to legal aid. This was a step
ahead in co ordination with jail authorities regarding legal aid for the inmates.
3. The officers from State and District Legal services Authority became aware of issues
of the grass root, and what practical problems clients face while availing services of
the Legal Services Authority.
4. The programme increased confidence of the clients, wherein they could raise their
issues directly in front of the magistrates.
5. After attending the programme and getting aware of their rights and services of the
government, two clients approached State Legal Services Authority for getting free
legal aid Advocates for putting up bail application in High Court. Out of which 1
client is released on bail. Three clients approached Supreme Court Legal Services
Authority.
113
6. Family members also raised various other issues concerning their lives. Prayas
workers are following up in these cases.
7. There is more positive atmosphere in the prison regarding taking services from
District and State Legal Services Authority. The inmates now have faith in Legal aid
system and lawyers.
Citizenship Rights Awareness Programme
Citizenship Rights Awareness programme was organized for the family members of prison
inmates on 27th February 2015. The objective of the programme was to impart knowledge
and information regarding the process of obtaining various citizenship rights documents like
Ration Card, Election Card, Aadhar Card, Registration of birth and death, etc.
To give this information, officers from Bharuch District Mamlatdar office were invited and
they gave detailed information for the same. 45 client families attended the programme and
they were encouraged to ask various questions concerning the procedure of obtaining the
required documents and certificates. Besides this, the issue of obtaining duplicate documents
in case of having lost the original documents, change in the name and addresses,
documentary evidences to obtain various documents, options in case of lack of documents
etc. Information was also given regarding the quantity of rations they are entitled to under
each scheme. Information about temporary transfer of ration card for migrant workers was
also given.
The officers also gave information of other schemes of the Mamlatdar office like Vriddha
Pension Scheme and Vidhwa Sahay Yojana. Prayas had prepared a detailed note on issues
and difficulties faced by clients at the field level, and had given to the resource person well
before the programme so that they are aware of the issues and difficulties faced by clients
and thus can prepare accordingly.
In both the programmes, a detailed list of questions and issues faced by the clients were
given to the concerned officers so that they are aware of the problems at the grass root level
and come prepare with the needed information.
One of the important results of the programme is that many clients have started the process of
obtaining the citizenship rights documents which they did not have. And the most important
result is that 4 of the clients have approached the concerned office independently.
114
b. Bharuch Sub Jail Female Section
Statistics
Broad Services
Specific Services
77
Total outreach
New Cases
56
Old Cases
21
Counseling
Sessions Number of Sessions
with Women Inmates
Vocational training
Statistics
Tailoring Training for Women Inmates
299
13
( one month)
Legal aid / Advice
Number of clients provided legal aid
15
New Cases
Number of clients provided legal aid
17
Old Cases
Medical Support
Women Inmates
Number of applications written
21
Cases referred to State / District Legal
Services Authority
17
Discussions with Magistrates
25
to Number of prisons inmates provided
medical support
Co-ordination
Hospital
Family Support
with Prisons Doctor /
14
31
Co-ordination with jail staff
28
Total number of family members
supported
13
Number of family members supported
13
115
New Cases
Number of family members supported
11
Old Cases
Medical Support
10
Support for training
--
Support for Education
02
Legal Support
20
Information
51
Follow-up
with Number of children reached out
Children of Women
Inmates
Follow-up
prisoners
14
Medical Support
07
Support for training
02
Support for Education
05
Legal Support
02
Released Follow-up of Training
08
Support to Family
13
Legal Support
10
Other Support
07
Counseling Sessions
33
Support for Education
07
Phone Calls Made
Telephones Calls Made
1425
Visits
Home Visits
65
Visits to Courts
88
116
Meetings with
Administration
Visits to State / District Legal Services
Authority
38
Visits to Prisons
100
Visits to Police Stations
17
Visits to NGOs
15
Visits to Bank
04
Visits to Government offices
54
Visits
to
institutes
19
Schools
/Educational
Visits to Training Institutes
37
Visits to Shelter home for Women
06
Visits to Shelter home for Children
05
Jail Meetings with I.G Prisons
02
Meetings with Jail Superintendents
81
Meetings with Jailor and Jail staff
147
Meetings with Prison Welfare Officer
06
Legal Support
The Prayas worker visits prison and discusses with women about their pending cases in
the court, and the legal status of the case. She also gives family members legal
information about the case and tries to get them involved in the case and obtain support
of the family for the women. Whenever necessary, the worker visits courts and meets
concerned advocates and magistrates to bring to their notice problems or legal issues
faced by the inmates. Prayas also gives both client and family members’ legal guidance
and information about the free legal aid services of the District Legal Services Authority.
Whenever legal aid lawyers are assigned to the inmates, worker follows up the case
matter with free legal aid lawyer and attends the court whenever necessary. Worker also
coordinates with the free legal aid lawyers, inmates and the family members. There are
misconceptions that free legal aid lawyers do not work efficiently but our experience has
117
been that cases are being acquitted when the cases are being handled by free legal aid
lawyers. As a result of this, women inmates are now more willing to avail the services of
free legal aid lawyers.
As most of the women do not have support from their families, the worker discusses with
them the option of obtaining lawyers from DLSA. Worker supported 10 women to write
applications to get free legal aid lawyers. All 10 women got advocates from DLSA to
handle their court cases. Out of these 10 women, 7 women were acquitted while 2 of
them were released on bail while the case of one woman is still pending. The families of
3 women inmates approached State Legal Services Authority at Gujarat High Court. Out
of these 3 women, one of them was released on bail from Gujarat High Court.
Prayas had also followed up in case of a convicted woman transferred to Vadodara
Central Prison from Bharuch to get free legal aid advocate to appeal in the High Court.
The inmate got an advocate, an appeal was filed and she got benefit in sentence for four
and half years.
In the case of an inmate who had employed a private advocate, worker had co ordinated
with the woman and advocate to put in a bail application on the ground that she was
pregnant. The court considered the ground and granted 67 days bail for her safe delivery.
When she was released on bail, the worker coordinated with an NGO who facilitated her
delivery without taking any fees from the woman..
Vocational Training for Women inmates
To organize government certified vocational training courses for women inmates, the
worker has been following up with Bharuch Nagarpalika, Jan Shikshan Sansthan,
Kaushalya Vardhan Kendra, ITI, Government Polytechnique, Bharuch, and Baroda
Swarojgar Vikas Sansthan. Baroda Swarojgar Vikas Sansthan (a CSR project of Bank of
Baroda) agreed to organize training for women inmates and also agreed to bear half the
cost of the training. A 21 days course (from 10.30a.m. to 4.00p.m.) was organized for 13
women inmates in co ordination with Baroda Swarojgar Vikas Sansthan.
Apart from giving vocational training to clients, one of the main objectives of the training
was to reach out to clients, build relationship with them, to understand and intervene in
their cases, contact, build relationship and support family members in order to get their
support for cases of their family members so they in turn are able to support the inmates.
The worker was present all day through on all 21 days of the training which thus helped
in achieving the above objectives.
Three women who were released on bail while the training was in process have
approached Prayas on their release to gain support to help them complete the training.
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Family Support
Most women accused of murder case have very weak family support and their families
are also in need of support. The worker provides support in the following ways:
1. Worker contacts the family, builds relationship with the family and tries to
encourage family to support the women. For e.g., No family members had come
to meet a woman inmates for more than a year. So the Prayas worker followed up
with the family, paid home visits, kept giving information about the case over the
phone and as a result the client’s father expressed willingness to support her in
arranging for her shelter after her release from the prison. And her sister and
brother in law came to meet her in prison.
2. Many times clients’ families are not willing to support the inmates due to the fear
of police and anxiety about the court procedures. In such situations, the worker
encourages the family members to overcome their fear and anxiety and counsels
them to support the women.
3. Worker supports the families for legal issues, medical problems and for education
of children.
Work with Children of Prisoners
Prayas intervenes in cases of children of women prisoners by providing following
services:
1. Helping women inmates gain custody of their children if they are left outside.
2. Whenever necessary, institutionalization of children
3. Assistance and help for continuing education of the children.
4. Assistance and help for vocational training whenever required
5. Coordinating with prison authorities to obtain birth certificate if the child is born
while mother is in prison.
In the course of doing the above mentioned tasks, the worker co ordinates with all
concerned government departments and tries to take benefit of the departmental schemes.
Case 1
When a woman inmate was expecting a baby, the Prayas worker had followed up
with local Aanganwadi who had agreed to provide nutritional supplement to the
pregnant mother. After the baby was delivered, nutritional supplement was provided
to both mother and the child. In this case, medical support for the child was obtained
from the Medical Officer of the Civil Hospital as well. The woman was transferred to
Vadodara Central Prison for her delivery. The birth certificate which came from
Vadodara mentioned the baby’s birth place as Naswadi prison. The worker followed
up with the staff of Vadodara Central Prison for the change in the birth place as a
result of which Naswadi prison as the address was removed.
119
Case 2
A woman inmate was imprisoned and her husband who was out could not take care of
the children as he himself was paralyzed. In fact, the children had to take care of him.
Due to this, the children - a 11 year old boy and 10 year old girl had dropped out from
the school when worker paid a visit to their house. Moreover, the boy did all the
household work and the girl worked at neighbor’s house, so that she could earn some
money from which they could buy their daily rations.
Prayas immediately provided them with emergency assistance whereby the girl did
not have to work for buying rations. Later, the worker coordinated with an NGO who
supported the family for rations.
Later, the worker concentrated her efforts for continuing the education of the
children. During a visit to the school, the worker came to know that the school fees
from the year 2012 were not paid. The children had been pressurized by the school
authority for payment of fees. Since the children did not have any support system
they stopped going to school. When the worker intervened in the matter, the school
administration refused to take the children back into their school. So the worker then
put up the matter before the District Education Officer ((DEO) who promised the
worker that the children will be admitted into a government school.
The worker instead discussed with the District Education Officer the possibility of the
children getting admission in the same school. On being convinced, the DEO called
up the trustees of the school and spoke to them about free-ship for the children. After
a lot of follow up and persuasion, the trustees agreed. Finally, the children are now
going to the school regularly. Prayas has also supported the children with books, bags
and other educational support.
Efforts were also directed towards linking the family with an NGO for the father’s
medical expenses.
Case 3
In a case where the woman was arrested for murder of her husband, her two children
were left outside as the woman had given the custody of her 7 year old daughter and
one and a half year old son to her brother at the police station. The woman was in
prison since last 7 months. In the meantime, the brother gave away the children to the
woman’s brother in law who lives at District Amerali which is 354 kms. away from
Bharuch.
Since her imprisonment, the woman had not seen her children. So the worker helped
the woman in writing an application to the court to gain custody of her infant son.
The court asked the mother to prove her maternity or produce birth certificate of the
120
child. To this response from the court, another application was written stating that as
the woman is in prison, it is not possible for her to produce the birth certificate.
Instead the court could order the police or the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU)
to follow up and get the birth certificate. The matter is pending in court since past 6
months, in spite of the workers maintaining a close follow up with the court, relatives
and DCPU.
Medical Support to Women Inmates
It is observed that female inmates are embarrassed to express their medical and
gynecological problems to the visiting male doctor. Medical support is provided to the
inmates through coordination between the prison administration and visiting doctors of
the Bharuch Civil Hospital. Many a times, the Prayas worker has presented before the
prison Superintendent the medical needs and problems of the women inmates in
emergency situations.
Follow up with released prisoners
In cases of released prisoners, worker follows up with them in regard to training,
education, legal and medical support. The worker also follows up with the children and
family members of the released women prisoners.
Welfare work in Prison
Worker coordinated with the Junior Chamber International, Bharuch for provision of woollen
clothes in the Women’s Section whereby they donated 16 sweaters for the women inmates
and 2 for the children.
Case
Sushilaben (name changed) was accused u/s.302 IPC and her 5 daughters were left at
home without any support or help. Out of the 5 daughters, the eldest is married and
resides in the same village. The second daughter is 17 years old, the third daughter is 16
years old, the fourth daughter is 11 year old and is deaf and dumb while the youngest
daughter is 10 years old.
The mother was extremely concerned about her daughters and thus requested the worker
to pay a home visit. The family lives in a very remote tribal village. When worker paid
the home visit, she observed that though the children’s grandparents and other relatives
stay in the same village, they were not supportive in any way. Moreover, they tried to
control the lives of the girls,.whereby the worker suggested institutionalization of
younger daughters to which they did not agree.
121
Sometime later, the worker got to know that the 2nd daughter had eloped with a boy.
Thus, the responsibility of the younger siblings fell on the 3 rd daughter. This girl worked
in an industry near Surat while her two younger siblings stayed alone in the house. The
working girl would visit the village once in fifteen days.
The worker passed on this information to the mother in the prison who requested the
worker to get the 2 youngest girls institutionalized. Thus, the worked helped the mother
write an application to the District Child Protection Unit requesting them to take custody
of her 2 younger children and produce them before the Child Welfare Committee. When
the District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) paid the home visit, the woman’s in-laws
informed them that everything is all right and we do not want our children to live in
institutions.
The daughters had called up the Prayas worker to inform that gradually the relatives have
taken away all the stored grains, utensils etc. from the house. They had two cows which
also died in the absence of necessary care. The worker had contacted the children’s
maternal aunt and tried to obtain some support for the children. But the in-laws did not
allow the aunt to meet the children. There was also an incident when the younger
daughters had run away and reached the maternal aunt’s place.
Thereafter, the Prayas worker explained the whole situation to the DCPO and also tried to
arrange a meeting between DCPO and the children. The DCPO will now take a statement
of the eldest daughter and on that basis will support the children to institutionalize them.
Prayas supported Sushilaben in the following ways:
1. Home visits
2. Support for institutionalizing children (Home visit, coordination with children,
maternal aunt, DCPO and mother)
3. Writing legal applications to obtain free legal aid advocate from DLSA and to the
DCPO to obtain support for institutionalizing children.
4. Follow up in the court
5. Follow up in the Police Station
6. Follow up with DLSA
7. NGO coordination for medical support for the daughter
Outcome of Workers’ Intervention
1. Children have got an assurance that there is somebody to help them and support
them during emergencies/crisis
2. Support of the maternal aunt was obtained.
3. The right information was provided to the DCPO, on the basis of which the
DCPO will take the necessary action.
122
4. The mulakat was possible between the mother and daughters after one and half
years.
5. An NGO working on the medical issue was willing to support the child’s surgery.
6. Free legal aid advocate was provided from the District Legal Services Authority
7. The legal aid lawyer was asking money from the family, So the worker explained
to the family that the government will pay for his fees and that the worker would
follow up with the advocate as well.
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c. Work at Police Station
Statistics
Broad Services
Case Referrals
Specific Services
Cases referred by Police
07
Cases referred by community
09
Cases referred by NGOs
05
Self Referral
01
Rehabilitation Services for Total Outreach
Women
Family Support
Statistics
30
New Cases
15
Old Cases
10
One time Support
05
Counseling sessions with women
36
Medical Support
05
Educational Support
--
Support for Training
--
Support for Job
02
Support for Shelter
04
Support for reconciliation with family
03
Total number of family members
supported
08
Legal Support
06
Support for Education
03
Support for Training
--
Medical Support
03
124
Legal Aid / Guidance
Services for Children
Case Referrals
Support for Job- Placement
--
Total number of clients provided legal
aid
15
Provided legal guidance
08
Referred to District Legal Services
Authority
03
Court Visits
22
Discussions with Magistrates
11
Discussions with Advocate
06
Total number of children
rehabilitation services
provided
Legal guidance to family
03
Support for Education
02
Shelter support to children
02
Follow-up with JJB/CWC
02
Referrals to Prison Worker
--
Referrals to Aftercare Worker
--
Referrals to WDC
--
Referrals to other NGOs
20
Legal awareness sessions in Number of programmes organized
schools
Total children
programmes
Visits
03
outreach
through
--
--
Visits to Police Station
25
Visits to Police chowkies
03
Home Visits
02
125
Visits to
Authority
Policy & Advocacy
Services
16
Visits to State Legal Services Authority
04
Visits to Shelter Home for Children
04
Visits to Shelter Home for Women
04
Visits to NGOs
05
Visits to Hospitals
01
Visits to schools /educational institutes
06
Visits to training agencies
03
Visits to Job-placement agencies
08
Meeting with District Judge
07
Meeting with Collector
02
Meeting with S.P.
18
Meeting with Dy. S.P.
01
Meeting with P.I.
13
Meeting with other system Officers
13
126
District
Legal
Socio- legal Training of SHG Group
Broad Services
Specific Services
Statistics
Socio- legal training of Number of trainings conducted
SHG groups
Total women reached out through
trainings
Visits
to
trainings
08
446
organise Visits to government offices
26
Visits to villages
10
Visits
to
identify
persons/agencies
127
resource
04
Rehabilitation Services for Referral Cases:
Cases are referred to the Prayas workers by the police, community and NGOs working in
the district. Some women in crisis also approach Prayas directly for assistance..
The worker provides support in following ways:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Counseling
Legal Guidance
Referral to the District Legal Services Authority for free legal aid lawyers
Maintaining a follow-up in the courts with the magistrates, advocates, and also in
the Family Court
Referral of cases to other NGOs, Mahila Police Station and maintain a follow-up
and coordination whenever required.
Maintain a follow -up with the family to obtain their support.
Guidance and coordination for training and job placement
Support for emergency assistance.
Socio-Legal Training of Self Help Groups
Worker plans the socio-legal training for Self Help Groups in co ordination with District
Rural Development Administration (DRDA). Prayas has obtained permission from
DRDA to organize such trainings in coordination with their District Livelihood
Managers.
Initially, the worker contacts the District Livelihood Manager (DLM) and with her
support contacts the Taluka Livelihood Manager (TLM). The TLM in turn coordinates
with the Cluster Coordinator who then provides us with the list of the active SHG groups.
We then follow up with the leader of the concerned SHG groups. In most cases, the
leader is also an aanganwadi teacher. So the worker coordinates with her for organizing
trainings in the village.
Besides this, the worker also contacts the Principal of the local school, Sarpanch and
other active members of the Panchayat to obtain their support for the training. Prayas
tries to organize these trainings in the school hall, Aanganwadi room or the community
hall in the village.
The objectives for organizing these trainings are:
-
-
To impart information and knowledge about basic rights and remedies provided
under various women related laws to build the capacity of the women to face
difficulties in real life situations.
To make women aware of the various mechanisms of the criminal justice system,
the procedure of approaching various channels available for redressal of
problems. i.e. the police, the courts, the judiciary, NGOs in the field, the role of
District Legal Services Authority and free legal aid lawyers.
128
-
To reach out to women in the community with the objective of crime prevention
and victimization.
-
To gain an understanding about the issues faced by women in the community
This year trainings, were organized in eight villages of Bharuch district. During these
trainings lot of information is given to the participants on laws related to women, their
rights, legal and non legal possible options available to them in crisis situation.
Information is also given about how to reach various organizations under the Criminal
Justice System, District Legal Services Authority, Shelter for women and children and
other Community resources in difficult situations. There are discussions with the women
on real life obstacles in the process of moving towards rights and justice, and possible
options to overcome them. The women are also given information about court and police
process and explained reasons for slow trials and processes, so that women do not lose
hope about the justice system.
During these sessions, material was also distributed to participants regarding laws and
legislations concerning women (This material was obtained from the State Legal Services
Authority). A laminated sheet containing addresses and telephone numbers of
government and non-government community resources in Bharuch district which the
women can contact in need and during emergencies was also distributed to each
participants.
This year, the socio-legal training was organized in 6 villages of Bharuch District. During
this trainings a total of 456 women were reached out to.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
In Kantharia village, 89 women were reached out
In Darol village, 46 women were reached out
In Dabhali village, 47 women were reached out
In Kargat village, 30 women were reached out
In Kantharia village, 89 women were reached out
In Derol village, 46 women were reached out
In Kelod village, 73 women were reached out
In Zadeshwar village, 36 women were reached out
Outcome of Socio-Legal Training for Women
1. Through these trainings, we were able to reach out to the rural women and were
able to gain insight into their lives and problems.
2. We were able to provide the women with information, options and alternate ways
of dealing with their problems.
3. During the trainings, we tried to involve village level officers such as the
Sarpanch, Talati, school Principal, anganwadi teachers, etc. so that during any
129
emergency, the women can take their help also. And also the officers themselves
are able to identify women in crisis and extend their support
4. Whenever cases were referred to Prayas (either self-referral or through the
President of the SHG), after a follow-up the cases are provided the required
rehabilitation services of Prayas.
Challenges
While conducting the trainings this year, we have realized that working with the
government system is a slow and tiring process. It so happens that the concerned officers
feel that, trainings should be organized for the sake of organizing it. The officers do not
understand or are too overworked to take our attempts seriously. So though we were able
to coordinate with them, and in period of three years, we could organize trainings in 16
villages, we had a feeling that we could use other options to reach out to the women in
the community.
Future Plans
Next year we plan to identify other groups in the community vulnerable to crime and
crisis and conduct trainings with them according to the needs of that group
Follow up with Superintendent of Police:
1. For Placement of Social Workers at Police Station
As mentioned in the earlier reports, Prayas is coordinating with the Superintendent of
Police (SP), Bharuch for placement of social workers under the Suraksha Setu Project of
Government of Gujarat. The workers were appointed at the police stations in Bharuch
district, but the department had to withdraw the placement due to the implementation of
code of conduct during the General Elections. Later, the Prayas worker followed up with
the SP for revival of the project after the elections got over. Though the SP is interested,
he is facing administrative problems from the department to initiate the project.
Prayas has discussed with him different options through which the project can be initiated
for e.g. contacting corporates or other NGOs in the district who can initiate such a
project. Options could be worked out whether the salaries could be paid through the
Suraksha Setu budget or by a corporate under their CSR activities. But one has to wait till
the decision from the department is taken.
2. Socio- Legal Training Of Police Officers in Bharuch District
After working with the police department since 1995 in Bharuch district, Prayas has
identified certain issues for which we would like to sensitize the police personnel and
organize awareness programmes for them.
130
The objectives of these training and sensitizing sessions would be
 Sensitization of police personnel towards issues faced by individuals caught in the
web of CJS
 Imparting legal information to police officers
 Knowledge and skill building towards deepening the scope of police work in a
changing social scenario.
 Raise the rehabilitation issue of vulnerable groups reaching police stations, and in
that context what should be the role and responsibility of the police.
Prayas has plans to raise a wide range of issues relating to crime, crisis and vulnerabilities
of people caught in the web of the CJS during these sessions. Also, in this context the
role and responsibilities of the police and scope for rehabilitation of the concerned group
will be discussed.
After discussing our objectives with the SP Bharuch, Prayas has obtained permission
from SP, Bharuch to organize such trainings for police personnel from time to time. The
SP, Bharuch has shown interest in organizing such trainings, as according to him, the
trained police officers would in the long run help towards building a positive image of the
department in the society. SP also suggested that the same officers would be sent for all
the trainings as then we will have a group of officers in Bharuch district who would be
equipped to handle social situations and can effectively help vulnerable groups using
social legislations.
The tentative topics for the training would be as follows:
1. Youth in Crime: reasons, role of police & scope for rehabilitation
2. Women in Crime : reasons (situations in family, community and society), role of
police with regard to arrest, and children of the accused women
3. Mentally ill cases reaching police station, overall role of police and in context of
Mental Health Act
4. Senior Citizens: issues of property, neglect by children, their rights, role of police
and information about available services
5. Women in Illicit Liquor business: Attempts for their rehabilitation (case studies of
both government and non-government attempts)
6. Selling of tribal/poor girls for marriage: understanding the scenario of Bharuch
district and Gujarat State
7. Information about role of District Legal Services Authority and case reference by
police
8. Information about schemes and services of government and non-governmental
agencies working in the district
9. Crime Prevention in Community: role of the police
10. Role of police with regard to neglected children and juveniles in conflict with law
131
11. Role of police with regard to women in prostitution – use of Bombay Police Act visà-vis-a the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956
12. Role of police in domestic violence cases
13. Role of police in child sexual abuse cases
14. Role of police in child labour cases
Prayas has tried and identified various resource persons who would be able to give these
trainings. The planning is also towards inviting field workers from Prayas during these
trainings, so that they can raise field level issues concerning vulnerability and
rehabilitation of our client group during these sessions.
While discussing with the SP, Bharuch on which training could be organized first, he
showed much interest and need in organizing training for police personnel on issues
concerning senior citizens. According to him, many cases of senior citizens were
reaching police stations wherein the senior citizens were victims of crime. The senior
citizens also reach police stations with complaints related to property rights and issues
concerning their care and maintenance which results into family conflicts.
A full day training session was organized on 28th January’15 for Head Constables at
Bharuch District Police Training Center. Shri Shailesh Mishra, Founder President, Silver
Innings Foundation, Mumbai and Ms. Raheen Jummani Jaiswal, Founder, Open Your
Arms Foundation, District Social Defense Officer were invited as resource persons for
the training. 73 constables, Head Constable and PSIs attended the training.
During the training following sessions were taken by the resource persons:
1. Current ageing situation in India.
2. Psychological, social and health related problems of senior citizens.
3. Laws, schemes and human rights of the senior citizens.
4. Information regarding Tribunals formed under The Maintenance & Welfare of
Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007.
5. Communication with senior citizens and hand holding.
6. Sharing of the experiences of the police personnel on their work with senior
citizens in other States.
Outcome of the Training
1. The training remained very interactive. Police officers raised doubts and asked for
clarifications, as they could relate the information given to their field experiences.
2. The police officers expressed the need for more trainings concerning social issues.
They expressed that they could handle IPC and Cr.P.C. but when social situations
are involved they feel limitations in handling those cases and situations. Such
trainings would make them more equipped to handle real life situations.
132
3. The importance of coordination between the police and community resources
were discussed with them.
4. Options were discussed with the police on alternate way of functioning which
could be helpful keeping in mind vulnerability and rights of senior citizens
reaching police station.
5. The training remained refreshing for the police, as they could get away from their
daily pressure and stress.
6. Though The Maintenance & Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 is
already implemented in Gujarat and Tribunals have been formed, yet there is
general unawareness about it, and also there is lack of information about its
functioning amongst the police personnel, functioning authorities and the
community. This training became a platform for awareness and information
sharing for both the police and the functioning authorities.
7. The police appreciated the session on the issue of senior citizens, as they felt that
they became more aware and sensitized towards conditions of their parents and
other relatives also. One of the police officers had become emotional and
expressed that “Today I have learnt what I had not learnt in the past 30 years of
my life”
Future Plans
Next year we plan to organize a series of trainings for the police personnel regularly for a
shorter duration so that trainings could be organized more frequently.
Follow up with SP Bharuch for case reference
It has been our experience that there are high chances of reformation and rehabilitation of
first time offenders, youth offenders and juveniles in conflict with law, if support is
extended to them at the right time. We believe that training and education will encourage
and motivate the first timers and young offenders towards path of rehabilitation. We have
discussed with SP that if cases of such youth reaching police stations are referred to us
than we can work towards their rehabilitation. A letter has also been given to him in this
context and we have requested the SP to issue a circular to all the concerned police
stations to refer such cases to us.
Vocational training for Children of Police Personnel
It has been our experience that many police line boys are involved in crime and
delinquency. When we discussed with the police about skills training for youth in crime,
the idea of vocational training for police line boys was also discussed. These were
discussed with the in-charge of the police lines after which a meeting was planned with
the youth of the police lines.
During the meeting various issues regarding their lives and future were discussed.
Though many young boys were educated most of them were unemployed. Those boys
133
who were not much educated expressed the need for computer training. We have
discussed this with the SP and are planning to organize such a training for boys in the
police lines for which both government and non-governmental training agencies are
being explored.
Follow up with District/State Legal Services Authority
Worker has continued to follow up with the various functionaries of DLSA and TLSA
including the Chairman for effective implementation of the schemes for the client group
of Prayas. The various practical problems involved in availing the services of DLSA and
TLSA for our client group were raised during the meetings held with the District Judge
and the Secretary, TLSA.
Outcome of the Follow-up with DLSA/SLSA
1. Continuous follow-up with these agencies has helped Prayas to build a good
rapport both at the State and district level. This has resulted into gaining
positive support from the magistrates and advocates of DLSA and SLSA for
all Prayas programmes and cases.
2. In cases where Free Legal Aid Lawyers are appointed for our clients,
continuous involvement of Prayas has helped towards long term, sensitized
involvement of advocates in the cases of Prayas
134
d. After-care work with youth
Statistics
Broad Services
Specific Services
Statistics
Case Referrals
Cases referred by Police station
--
Cases referred by Prison worker
42
Cases referred by Community
--
Rehabilitation
for Clients
Services Total number of clients Outreach
10
New Cases
72
Old Cases
37
Counselling sessions with clients
125
Medical Support
Family Support
Educational Support
03
Number of clients placed for training
--
Support for Training
01
Support for Job/Employment
--
Obtaining citizenship documents
01
Total number of
supported
30
family members
Legal Support
23
Support for Education
04
Support for Training
02
Medical Support
--
Support to citizenship documents
--
Counselling with family
33
135
Legal Aid / Guidance
Awareness
in Schools
Visits
Total number of clients provided legal
aid
Programmes Number of programmes organized
43
05
Total children/youth outreach through
programmes
955
Visits to Police Station
03
Visits to Police chowkies
--
Home Visits
81
Visits to
Authority
District
Legal
Services
05
Visits to Shelter Home for Children
--
Visits to Shelter Home for Women
--
Visits to NGOs
--
Visits to government
22
offices
Visits to schools /educational institutes
30
Visits to training agencies
31
Visits to court
12
Visits for discussion with advocate
14
The aftercare worker followed up cases referred by Prison worker and Police Station
worker. In the reports of the other units, reasons for termination of the after care work
with JCL children is mentioned.
Both prison workers of the male and female sections provided many services in the
prison, the male worker concentrated on legal aid and the female worker apart from
intervening in the cases of the female section also conducted activities for encouraging
136
prison inmates for continuing their education. The workers were also involved in
coordinating with other NGOs to encourage them to work inside the prison which
affected the case referrals to the aftercare worker.
Thus a decision was taken that the aftercare worker too will visit prison and coordinate
with the prisons workers for picking up cases of the male youth. Another benefit of the
aftercare worker directly taking up cases from the prison is that the rapport developed
with the clients in prison has proved very helpful to work with them on their release from
the prison.
So permission was obtained from I.G. (Prisons) for the aftercare worker to visit prison
after which the aftercare worker started visiting prison from the month of November
2013.
The Prayas worker conducts the following activities in prison:
 Visits the barracks and reaches out to the male youth
 Discussions with the inmates about their needs and problems
 Identification of the clients’ and their family members’ needs
 Coordination with the jail staff
 Visit to courts, police stations according to the needs identified
 Conduct home visits and maintain a follow up with the family
 Provide legal aid & advice
 Follow up with family for training, education, legal and medical needs
 Follow up with clients after their release from prison with the objective of
rehabilitation.
The aftercare worker has been working in the prison since more than 1 year. It has been
our experience that it is very difficult to reach out and maintain a follow up with the
clients hailing from rural areas. To work with them, it is necessary to identify training
and employment in their villages or nearby villages or taluka areas. This requires a lot of
efforts on behalf of the workers considering the travelling time to reach villages and
identifying resources nearby.
Gradually, the worker has begun to understand issues faced by rural youth and plans to
intervene according to their needs and problems.

Counselling and discussions
With the prison inmates and released male youth, Prayas worker does a lot of counseling.
Besides this, discussions are held with them regarding their plans for rehabilitation,
obtaining family support, strengthening family ties, legal matters, encouraging continuing
education, pursue a vocational training and encourage savings.
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
Educational Support
Worker has encouraged clients to continue their education. In a case where client was
encouraged to continue studying in Xth class, the worker maintained a continuous follow
up so that the client does not drop out and supported the client in the educational related
problems faced by him. Through a follow up with his school, the worker was able to
obtain books and uniform.
Besides this, the worker also supported two other clients in filling up the forms for the
Open School exams for XII th class.

Support for Training
The worker also continuously follows up with the released clients for vocational training.
It has been our experience that most rural youth on release from the prison immediately
want to take up some kind of employment, even if it is a daily wages job as survival in
the rural areas is very difficult. Most of the time, majority of the family members also
work on daily wages, so it becomes important for the clients to lend a helping hand due to
which the clients do not show much interest in full time training.
On gaining this realization, Prayas has taken a decision that from the next financial year
the clients will be supported in training very near to their residence so that they can
continue their work on part time basis, also well as find some time to attend the training
programmes.
Support to Family Members of Released Prisoners and Prison Inmates
Worker provides the following services to the clients’ family members:
 Discussion and counseling with family members
 Obtaining family support for the clients’ legal matters
 Supporting family for education, training and citizenship rights documents
 Strengthening relations between the clients and their family members
Legal Awareness Programme for School Children
The Bharuch Unit of Prayas organizes Legal Awareness Programmes for school children
(students from IXth to XIIth classes) in the various schools of Bharuch district.
The objectives of the trainings are as follows:
1. To help children to recognize and prevent situations that may put them at risk of
victimization or delinquency
2. To provide children with the knowledge to help reduce the risks
3. To increase crime prevention awareness and skills in children
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During these awareness programmes, discussions are also conducted on various child
related legislations with the children.
 Registration of Birth & Death Act, 1969
 Right to Education Act, 2009
 Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986
 Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Act, 2000
 Motor Vehicle Act, 1988
 Information Technology Act, 2000
 Right to Information Act, 2005
 Child Help Line
Discussions are also based on various types situations that may lead to the victimization
or criminalization of the children.
This year 4 programmes were held in 3 schools of Bharuch district in Ankleshwar and
Valia. One programme was organized at Adivasi Kumar Chatralaya in Valia. During
these programmes, 955 children were reached out to out of which 865 were males and 90
were female participants.
Outcome of the Trainings
- We were able to raise various issues faced by children before an audience
comprising of school students, teachers, school authorities, District Legal Services
Authority and District Child Protection Officers.
- Children raised issues related to their understanding of crime, delinquency which
were addressed by Prayas workers and resource persons.
- There were case referrals from the teachers and Principals who attended the
programme.
- The teachers and principals expressed need to organize trainings on sexual abuse
of children.
- The children understood the structure of Juvenile Justice System and Criminal
Justice System.
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e. Women’s Development Centre
Statistics
Broad Services
Specific Services
18
Total outreach
Training
Outside
agencies
Statistics
Total trainees at WDC - New clients
02
Total trainees at WDC - Old clients
16
Follow-up with old clients of WDC
16
Provided at Training in special dress & blouse
training making
05
3 months government training in
Beauty Parlor
03
6 months training in Nursing Attendant
Course (Kaka-Ba Hospital, Hansot )
01
1 month government training in Special
Beauty Parlor at SHG, Bholav
16
1 month government training in Special
Tailoring at SHG, Bholav
35
Awareness / Information Educational and Entrepreneurship
Awareness Programme
Program at WDC
01.prog.
68.clients
Exposure Visit
Exposure Visit for WDC clients to 01.visit.05
Rajpipla Social Service Society, at
clients
Rajpipla, District Narmada
Legal Aid& Guidance
Number of clients provided legal
support- New clients
01
Number of clients provided legal
support- Old clients
06
140
Number of clients supported to avail
benefit from District Legal Services
Authority
02
Discussion with Advocate
36
Availing
benefit
of Number of clients supported to avail
citizenship documents
Government Schemes
--
Initiated process to get benefit of
government schemes
--
Provided
schemes
--
benefit of government
N.G.O. Placement
Number of clients sent for
Placement
NGO
01
Other Services
Medical Support
01
Referred to NGOs
01
Counseling sessions with clients
197
for Rehabilitation
Support provided
Account / Post
Family Support
to
open
Bank
--
Support for Education
02
Telephone calls made
80
Number of family members supported
- Old clients
20
Support for Education
23
Support for Training
--
Support for Medical
--
Support for Shelter
--
Legal support
06
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Home Visits
07
Visits to Police Station
--
Visits to Court
15
Visits to Nari Adalat
03
Visits to State Women’s Commission
03
Visits to NGOs
17
Visits to CWC / JJB
--
Visits to government offices
22
Visits to school/ educational institutes
08
Visits to Shelter Home for Women
--
Visits to Shelter Home for Children
--
Visits to training institutions
69
Visits to Hospital
01
Visits to Job placement agencies
05
Visits
Vocational Training
This year 7 clients were sent for specialized training out of which 3 clients underwent
training in blouse making and dress making. After the completion of the training, we are
helping one client in getting tailoring orders from her village where she resides by
maintaining a close follow-up with her. She has already started getting orders from the
community where she resides. Besides this, the trainer under whom she had taken the
training has also started giving her work on piece rate basis.
One client went for a professional nursing course after which she has got placement in a
hospital. 3 of our other clients took training in beauty parlour skills out of which one of
them got employment in a parlour in her village itself. Two clients took training in
Beauty Parlour skills conducted by Kaushalya Vardhan Kendra - a project run by the
Commissionarate of Education & Training, Government of Gujarat.
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Medical Awareness Programme
Kidney disease related awareness programme was organized by student social workers in
co ordination with Indian Renal Foundation in which 15 of our women clients
participated.
Legal Aid
Follow up is being maintained in 5 cases to support the clients and their families in their
legal matters pending before the Bharuch District Court and Gujarat High Court. Out of
these 5 cases, 3 are being supported to gain benefit of the Supreme Court Legal Services
Authority.
NGO placement
1 client was placed through the NGO placement in an NGO working for medical rights
and welfare in the Civil Hospital of Bharuch. The client worked for 2 months after which
she dropped out of the programme due to personal problems.
Educational support for clients’ children
Twelve children of 8 clients were supported with school fees, stationery, school bags and
uniforms to continue their education. A donation amount of Rs.23,753/- was raised by the
Prayas social worker for paying the school fees
One child was supported for tuition classes as part of the preparations for the banking and
GPSC exams. A child doing his Diploma in Chemical Engineering was supported to
continue his studies while another child was supported to continue his Xth standard.
Production Unit
The Bharuch Unit of Prayas is planning to initiate a Production-cum-income generation
unit on an experimental basis. The staff of Bharuch Unit along with our colleagues from
Mumbai Unit explored the options of marketing of our products in industries and
corporates in Bharuch District. The worker contacted 24 industries in Dahej, Ankleshwar
and Jhagadia Industrial Estates through personal visits as well as through phone calls.
The result of this was meetings were planned with HR managers of 8 industries.
Encouraging Self Employment
At present there are 6 clients in WDC, with whom we have planned the process of selfemployment. Follow up is going on with another 2 clients who have taken training at
WDC. As a result of the discussions with them, the clients are now prepared to move
towards self employment.
Two clients who have undergone training in tiffin services and snacks making are going
to start hot snacks business. Another client plans to start a small shop in her house to sell
143
cutlery items while another 5 clients are prepared to do tailoring work in their
community.
Exposure Visit for Clients
At present there are 5 clients in the WDC. These clients were taken to Rajpipla Social
Service Society, at Rajpipla in the Narmada district for an exposure visit. The
organization works in 9 districts and 19 talukas of Gujarat State on issues of rights of
tribals especially in reference to legal issues and land rights. They also prepare tribal
women and youth for employment and entrepreneurship and organize vocational training
for women and youth.
Vocational Training for Women of Self Help Groups
As part of our legal trainings, we organized socio-legal training for women of Self Help
Groups. During the trainings we had observed that most women are involved in crime
and crisis because of lack of education and training. Thus, keeping in mind the
rehabilitation of such women, we decided to organize vocational training for the women
living in Bholav village in coordination with Baroda Swarojgar Vikas Sansthan who took
responsibility of half the fees of the trainings.
Prayas had organized socio-legal trainings in 16 villages of Bharuch District. Out of these
16 villages we selected Bholav village to organize vocational training because this is a
semi- urban village where most of the men in the community are into temporary jobs or
working on daily wages, alcoholism is very prevalent in the village, there are a lot of
cases of illicit liquor brewing in the village (women are involved in it) and thus there are
frequent cases of crime and crisis in the village.
Prayas contacted women in the community through the Presidents of the SHGs in the
village. 79 women had approached Prayas for tailoring class. To select 35 women from
this group was a difficult task as most of them were poor and needy whereby we based
the criteria of selection on their crisis situation and age group.
Selection was based on following criteria:
1. Involvement or vulnerability to crime
2. Victims of crisis
3. Single women or daughter of single parent
4. Age group between 18 years to 35 years
5. Educational level of minimum 7th class pass
Based on the above criteria, 35 women were selected and one month full time (11.00 a.m.
to 5.00 p.m.) tailoring training was organized.
144
Young women from Bholav village had also approached Prayas with the need for Beauty
Parlour training. A full-time one month Beauty Parlour training was also organized for 16
women in coordination with Baroda Swarojgar Vikas Sansthan (BSVS). The training fees
were Rs.2000/- per person out of which Prayas paid Rs.500/- per person while the
remaining Rs.1500/- per person was borne by BSVS.
In both the trainings, the training agency provided necessary training material to clients.
In tailoring training Prayas provided clients with extra practice material. In the beauty
care training, BSVS provided clients with a wax heater each as a gift on completion of
the training.
Outcome of Vocational Trainings
1. The women showed confidence to move towards employment and
entrepreneurship.
2. One woman who had already taken training earlier but did not have a certificate
got a certificate after attending this training. She is planning to initiate a tailoring
class at her home.
3. The women who attended the trainings are now eligible to apply for loan from
Banks or the District Industries Center.
4. In case of one woman, we have contacted a corporate who runs a CSR project in
her village to donate her a tailoring machine under their CSR scheme.
5. Some of the women have shown readiness to take advanced training.
6. During a follow up visit to the training center, the Prayas workers information
regarding vocational training, education, government schemes, loan schemes to
clients which could be useful for both clients and their family members.
Educational and Entrepreneurship Awareness Programme for Women
While observing and communicating with women during vocational training
programmes, we had experienced that though women wanted to move ahead in life and
wanted to explore options and alternatives they lacked the confidence. They were hesitant
to move ahead because they were not sure what obstacles would come in the way and
how to overcome them. They knew that women can excel in their respective fields but
they always thought that those women who excelled were different, and they were not
amongst them.
To raise these issues and have motivating discussions, we decided to organize an
Educational and Entrepreneurship Awareness Programme for women. During this
programme we had invited resource persons from the field of education, beauty parlour
and tailoring.
145
For Educational Awareness, we had invited:
1. District Education Officer
He talked about importance of education and Open School System wherein dropout women can continue their education. He also discussed about creating a study
group, wherein women can study together and help each other.
2. Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS)
The resource person from JSS talked about various schemes and vocational
programmes run by JSS and Open University Courses which women could enroll
for further education.
For Entrepreneurship awareness the following resource persons were invited:
1. Beauty Care
A successful and famous entrepreneur who had started her business without any
support or any basic investment amount was invited. She talked about her
journey, what obstacles actually came about and how she overcame the obstacles.
2. Tailoring
 Experiences were shared by a client who had taken tailoring training in
Prayas was placed at a boutique for an on-the-job training and is now
handling the boutique.
 Another client who had taken tailoring training at Prayas and was placed
with a designer for specialized choli making training and who is now
earning her livelihood by making chania choli also spoke about her
experiences.
 A woman whom we have met during our SHG group trainings and who is
the President of a SHG group and also runs a tailoring class in a small
village was invited. She talked about the various earning options available
for women after learning tailoring.
 Another trainer who runs a tailoring class in a village talked about how
women can take benefit of government schemes or take loans from banks
and can become employed or self employed.
 A group of women representing a SHG spoke about how they make dry
snacks at home and sell them at a wholesale price in factories.
Outcome of the Programme
1. The participants could visualize that the journey towards growth and development
though difficult is not impossible.
2. There is a possibility that women from any economic or social status can move
ahead in life.
3. Women showed confidence to ask questions and share as they could easily relate
to the resource persons’ experiences or information.
4. For the resource persons too, this was an enriching experience as most of them
had begun their lives from scratch and they could feel a sense of accomplishment
while sharing their experiences.
146
5. The Education Officer too felt the importance of reaching out to this group and
was sensitized. He too offered the women various options for continuing their
education.
6. A ray of hope could be visualized amongst the client women.
147
Income Generation Unit / Prayas Production Unit
Orders
Regular orders were placed for jute and cloth bags, files and folders for seminars,
conferences, workshops and as corporate gifts. In order to meet this demand, some part
of the orders was outsourced to women’s self-help groups or individuals from the
community.
Emergency Support for Field Expenses
The proceeds of the Unit are invested in field expenses, emergency needs of clients and
staff e.g. hospitalization expenses, upcountry visits with clients, clients’ house deposit,
stipends, etc.
Turnover
Proceeds from sales through individual purchases and exhibition cum sales amounted to
Rs. 10,67,575.00
Statistics
Sr. No
Particulars
Amount
1.
Orders completed – 45
2.
Workshop sales
1695.00
3.
Outside sales
95580.00
9,70,300.00
Total
10,67,575.00
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Staff Welfare and Staff Development
Inputs and Interventions
The details of staff members who been given financial support and/or education leave to
study further are as follows:
Appearing LLB (3rd Year) - 1 staff member
Appearing LLB (2nd Year) - 1 staff member
Appearing LLB (1st Year) - 2 staff members
Appearing T.Y.B.A – 1 staff member
Appearing S.Y.B.A - 2 staff members
Appearing F.Y.B.A - 2 staff members
Appeared Diploma in NGO Management Course - 1 staff member
Appeared MSCIT course - 2 staff members
Outputs and Outcomes
 12 staff members pursuing higher education will help strengthen educational base
of Prayas staff.
 Improved self-confidence of staff to handle field situations.
 Morale of staff is stronger.
Challenges
 Balancing work and educational commitments is sometimes challenging.
 Additional work load on staff while their colleagues are on educational leave.
 Financial constraints to pursue courses of their choice.
Future Plans
 Encouraging more staff to pursue their education.
 Increasing financial support for pursuing further education.
 Identifying short-term courses which staff can attend.
149
Statistics
Sr.
No.
Name of the Course
Number of Staff Members
appearing for exam
1.
Appearing LLB (3rd Year)
1 staff member
2.
Appearing LLB (2nd Year)
1 staff member
3.
Appearing LLB (1st Year)
2 staff members
4.
Appearing T.Y.B.A
1 staff member
5.
Appearing S.Y.B.A
2 staff members
6.
Appearing F.Y.B.A
2 staff members
7.
Appeared Diploma in NGO Management Course
1 staff member
8.
Appeared MSCIT course
2 staff members
150