1 week ago
Maharashtra Doubles Grants to Help Released Prisoners Rebuild Lives
Maharashtra gives some people money when they leave prison so they can start working again.
The grant has increased from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000.
People who were acquitted after spending at least a year in jail can now apply too.
The money can be used for things like hens, sewing machines, carpentry tools, shops or laptops.
Applicants must explain their plan and provide documents.
A probation officer checks the application and visits the applicant’s home.
One former prisoner used the money to buy a laptop and now works as a legal assistant.
Another used it to start a small poultry farm.
Maharashtra has doubled its rehabilitation grant for released prisoners from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000.
The scheme now covers people acquitted after spending at least a year in custody.
Beneficiaries can use the grant for initiatives such as poultry farming, tailoring, shops, tools or laptops.
Applicants must submit a proposal through a probation officer, including purchase quotations and supporting documents.
The scheme benefits up to about 480 people annually, while broader rehabilitation recommendations from 2018 remain pending.
- Who
- Released prisoners, probationers and, newly, people acquitted after spending at least a year in custody in Maharashtra.
- What
- The Maharashtra government has doubled a rehabilitation grant from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 and expanded eligibility.
- Where
- Maharashtra, with beneficiaries including people from Mumbai and Palghar.
- When
- The revised grant was announced in a Government Resolution issued on August 18; it applies to people released on or after that date.
- Why
- The scheme is intended to support rehabilitation, reintegration and livelihood opportunities for people leaving prison who may face stigma and difficulty finding work.
Key facts
- New grant amount
- Rs 50,000, increased from Rs 25,000
- Newly eligible applicants
- People acquitted after spending at least one year in custody
- Existing eligible groups
- Convicts and probationers covered under the Maharashtra Probation of Offenders Act, 1958
- Age range
- Applicants aged 18 to 65
- Annual beneficiaries
- Up to about 480 people
- Scheme history
- Started in 1993 with a Rs 1,000 grant; the amount reached Rs 25,000 in 2016
- Application process
- Applicants submit a proposal through a probation officer, who conducts a home visit and obtains reports from the prison
- Review cycle
- The scheme will be reviewed every three years by the Commissioner, Women and Child Development, Pune
Quotes
The 44‑year‑old man
Former inmate now legal assistant
“I purchased coops and some feed for the hen and a small flock of about 40 hens. I am currently farming but with the set up now complete, I will seek a loan from elsewhere and buy a larger flock.”
indianexpress.com
“I did not want to spend the rest of my life defined by one mistake.”
indianexpress.com
Dr Vijay Raghavan
Project director of Prayas NGO
“Such a scheme recognises the state’s responsibility towards reintegration into society and rehabilitation of a population, who face stigma and challenges in getting employment.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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