Inmates are one of the most despised and stigmatized sections of society who live in extreme vulnerable conditions. Being labeled as an offender causes one to internalize stigmatizing attitudes, withdraw from conventional society, and tend to reoffend. It not only affects the reformation and reintegration of such individuals but also jeopardizes their overall well-being along with that of their family members. It has been observed that the majority of the inmates are under-trials belonging to the marginalized community and remain in confinement due to a lack of awareness about their legal rights or other socio-economic factors. Furthermore, the government of India, during the observation of Law Day in November 2022, raised the issues of the plight of under-trials incarcerated in various prisons in India, ranging from inappropriate criminalization, indiscriminate arrests, weak bail entitlements, and inadequate summary disposals through Lok Adalats, and emphasized prison reforms to improve jail management. Bodies like the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) have also been focusing their attention on the promotion and protection of the human rights of prisoners since their inception. The organization is maneuvering to facilitate access to socio-legal aid services and promote community sentencing as a reformatory mechanism mentioned in Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the use of the Probation of Offenders Act, 1958, for the first time and young offenders under the supervision of a probation officer.
Socio-legal aid is an intervention model that claims to restore the principles of justice, equality, and equity in the criminal justice system in India. The organization is committed to ensuring that every individual, regardless of their socio-economic background, has access to justice and legal assistance. The custodial population, which includes prisoners, detainees, and under-trial prisoners, often faces several challenges and barriers when it comes to accessing socio-legal aid services. LAW Foundation identifies these challenges and works towards bridging the gap by providing the custodial population with legal and social aid services and counseling, underscoring the 3Rs: rehabilitation, reformation, and reintegration. Socio-legal aid services provided by the organization include legal representation, legal advice, and assistance in filing petitions, appeals, and providing emergency support. Moreover, the organization conducts legal awareness programs and workshops for the custodial population to help them comprehend their rights and obligations under the law.
LAW Foundation recognizes the importance of sustainable mental health services among the custodial population inside prisons. The organization works towards providing sustainable mental health services to prisoners to improve their mental health, thereby enhancing their overall well-being. The organization believes that providing sustainable mental health services is essential for the rehabilitation and reintegration of prisoners back into society. By providing mental health services, prisoners can better cope with the challenging and stressful prison life. LAW Foundation provides individual counseling to prisoners and assists them in accessing advanced facilities if needed. The organization also conducts mental health awareness programs and workshops to help prisoners better understand the importance of mental health and how to manage their mental health effectively inside prison. The organization collaborates with other stakeholders, including the prison authorities, mental health professionals, and civil society organizations, to ensure that sustainable mental health services are provided to prisoners. LAW Foundation believes that a collaborative effort is necessary to ensure the provision of effective and sustainable mental health services to prisoners.
The Legal Literacy Program was launched, aiming to create a generation of informed and aware citizens who understand their legal rights and responsibilities. The organization intends to promote legal literacy among children and empower them to be active participants in the legal system through this initiative. The idea of Para Legal Volunteers (PLV) was developed with the aim of promoting legal literacy. Currently, two types of PLVs are trained by the organization: community paralegal volunteers (CPLVs) and jail paralegal volunteers (JPLVs). CPLVs are young members of the community who are capacitated about rights during apprehension, the right to FIR, the right to a copy of judgment after conviction or after acquittal, rights against child marriage, rights against child abuse, and the right to write and file an FIR. The trained CPLVs empower other community members about their legal rights and help them if any conflict arises. Whereas JPLVs are convicted, educated prisoners conscientiously trained by the legal team members and prison authorities. They are trained with basic legal knowledge, including primary legal processes, identifying under-trial prisoners in need of socio-legal aid, and orchestrating documents. The organization particularly trains JPLVs in writing legal applications, filling out Vakalatnama and bail bond forms, preparing affidavits, and writing Personal Recognizance (PR) bail bond applications.
LAW Foundation is actively engaged with various historically marginalized communities in Bihar. A community is an inevitable part of society that makes it whole. The relevance of empowering communities arises when certain communities are discriminated against and made vulnerable due to their socio-economic conditions. The vulnerable are denied and deprived of their basic rights. The organization works towards making the disadvantaged community visible and heard through the empowerment of the young and women. The multicomponent intervention aims primarily to assist the community in accessing social entitlement rights and creating awareness about the significance of the same. It involves the collaboration of various stakeholders, governmental and non-governmental, to address the complex social and economic factors that contribute to the wellbeing of the community. Active engagement with the community is built on trust and empathy. Various participatory tools are instrumentalized in the democratization process, allowing the community to lead while the organization acts as a facilitator.