The Telangana Prisons Department is expanding its legal aid coverage to ensure that all undertrial and convicted inmates have access to legal support. In coordination with the Telangana State Legal Services Authority, free legal aid has been provided to 1,045 prisoners in 2024 and 972 prisoners till September 30 this year.
The announcement was made by Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services Soumya Mishra at the national conference on ‘Building Justice Capacity for Tomorrow: Telangana in Dialogue’, jointly organised by the India Justice Report, NALSAR University of Law, and the Access to Justice for Prisoners initiative, on Saturday.
Ms. Mishra, accompanied by Inspector General of Prisons N. Muralibabu and Deputy Inspector General of Prisons M. Sampath, said that the department has been focusing on reform-oriented correctional policies aimed at reformation, rehabilitation, and reintegration of inmates.
She said that Telangana prisons were being digitally connected to courts through video conferencing systems for security and transparency. The department is also integrating with the Judiciary through e-courts and e-prisons modules under the Interoperable Criminal Justice System, thereby improving coordination and data transparency.
Highlighting the impact of jail adalats in reducing case pendency, she said that 1,128 cases were heard in 2023 resulting in the release of 376 prisoners, 1,932 cases in 2024 that led to 483 releases, and 1,811 cases have been heard in 2025 so far, with 460 prisoners released.
Under the Smart Prisons’ initiative, the department has adopted technology-driven reforms such as biometric systems, digital inmate records, and virtual legal aid platforms, making correctional administration more transparent and accountable.
Published – October 11, 2025 09:04 pm IST
