Prayas

The organisation implements a comprehensive Rehabilitation plan in phases. Initially, emergency support, including medical aid, legal assistance, and child support, is provided. For those unable to live with their families due to various reasons, shelter facilities in institutions, hostels, and group homes are arranged. Family support and counselling services are offered to help both the individual undergoing the criminal justice process and their family cope with challenging circumstances. Moreover, Prayas explores education, vocational training, and job opportunities, with a focus on the welfare sector. Trainees are placed in the voluntary sector, providing a supervised and supportive environment for skill development. Assistance in obtaining legal documents and accessing public systems like banks and welfare schemes is also provided, connecting clients to various Government initiatives for their welfare and development.

It engages in research and documentation efforts to advance knowledge in social work within the criminal justice system, understanding rehabilitation processes, and advocating for systemic change. The organisation conducts research studies and field explorations, documenting field experiences, as well as the outcomes of workshops, seminars, and conferences. These documented materials serve as valuable resources for advocacy work, enabling the organisation to effectively promote its goals and bring about positive change in the system.

It conducts interventions to drive policy change on various pertinent issues, including the rehabilitation needs of women in institutions, the formulation of draft rules for women's institutions, the provision of Unique Identity Cards for women in distress, health insurance for vulnerable individuals, Below Poverty Line (BPL) surveys within institutions, access to Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) benefits for children in custody, and facilitating welfare scheme access for those under custodial or institutional care. Additionally, the organisation advocates for Government-run vocational training programmes to benefit prison inmates. Through these efforts, it aims to bring about positive policy changes that will have a significant impact on vulnerable populations within the criminal justice system.

Reaching out to vulnerable groups at various locations, it conducts visits to prisons, police stations, and Government institutions for women and children. The organisation provides a range of services, including counselling, awareness programmes, vocational training, family support, and legal aid, aiming to establish rapport and offer information about rehabilitation services. To address problematic situations, the organisation has devised a programme that encourages socially acceptable alternatives to illegal or inappropriate associations, behaviours, and support systems. With teams of social workers, vocational training instructors, and counsellors operating from Development Centers, it focuses on male youth and women in Mumbai and Bharuch.

It focuses on safeguarding the fundamental and developmental requirements of children affected by the CJS. This includes children in various situations, such as those living with their mothers in prisons or residing outside while their mothers are in custody. Additionally, the organisation works with children staying in institutions with their mothers, like the Government Protective Home for women rescued from prostitution, or those living outside while their mothers are in custody. Furthermore, it extends its support to children who reunite with their mothers in the community after their release from prisons or institutions.