Prayas is a pioneering social work demonstration project of the Centre for Criminology and Justice, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, established as a Field Action Project in 1990. Placement of social work students doing their M.A. in Social Work from the Department of Criminology and Correctional Administration (now the Centre for Criminology and Justice) at TISS in prisons, police stations, and courts from 1985 onwards by Dr Sanober Sahni, a faculty in the Department and now Project Advisor, Prayas, led to conceiving the idea of starting a full-time project focusing on social work intervention in the Criminal Justice System. Her partner in this venture was Prof. Vijay Raghavan, who had graduated from TISS in 1989, and the work of Prayas was initiated in Mumbai Central Prison in 1990. With the evolution of newer programmes, the leadership in Prayas has been consciously developed to foster participative decision-making processes, group accountability mechanisms and has led to a second rung of leadership holding key positions, including the Joint Project Director, Dr. Sharon Menezes.

Prayas focus is on service delivery, networking, training, research and documentation, and policy change with respect to the custodial/institutional rights and rehabilitation of socio-economically vulnerable individuals and groups who come into direct contact with the Indian Criminal Justice System (CJS). To this end, permission to visit criminal justice or custodial institutions and interact with persons detained or confined in police stations, prisons and government residential institutions in Maharashtra and Gujarat has been obtained from the Departments of Prisons and Women and Child Development.

Vision
Assert and include into the broader welfare agenda, the rights of persons and groups affected by the criminal justice system towards their enhanced access to information, education, training, health, opportunities for livelihood and leading life in a safe and healthy environment; thereby channelizing significant human resource to contribute to a developing economy.

Mission
To enhance knowledge and influence policy and process of criminal justice and allied systems in India, with specific reference to custodialised and institutionalized individuals and groups who are socio-economically vulnerable, are excluded from mainstream public facilities and welfare, and those who are at greater risk of being criminalised, or exposed to trafficking for sexual exploitation.