Flyer -Undertrial Review Committee

Prisons in India are chronically overcrowded. Sixty-seven percent of the prison population comprises undertrials – those who are awaiting or undergoing trial and not yet proven guilty. This needs repair and Under Trial Review Committee (UTRC) is one oversight mechanism which can address this. It is a district level oversight body mandated to review and recommend release in cases of petty offence, prolonged detentions, and where statutory bail is ordained. CHRI believes that the effective functioning of UTRCs directly impacts the conditions of overcrowding in prisons. This flyer provides the composition and mandate of UTRCs and also enlists CHRI's key publication on review committees of Rajasthan, West Bengal and their compliance status nationally.