Jails across country overcrowded, prisoner count exceeds capacity: MHA in Lok Sabha

As per the details provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Uttar Pradesh tops the list with an inmate population of 1,17,789 while the availability capacity stands at 63,751 noting a startling difference of 54,038, followed by Bihar where there are 66,879 prisoners lodged across the state while the official capacity stands at 47,750, marking a difference of 19,129

New Delhi:As many as 5,54,034 inmates are lodged in different jails across the country as against their official capacity of 4,25,609, the Ministry of Home Affairs said on Tuesday in the Lok Sabha. While replying to a question from Congress MP Abdul Khaleque on whether the government has maintained data regarding the capacity of jails in the country and its state-wise details, Nityanad Rai, Minister of State for Home Affairs, in a written reply shared the data in the Lok Sabha.

As per the details provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Uttar Pradesh tops the list with an inmate population of 1,17,789 while the availability capacity stands at 63,751 noting a startling difference of 54,038, followed by Bihar where there are 66,879 prisoners lodged across the state while the official capacity stands at 47,750, marking a difference of 19,129 and 48,513 inmates lodged in Madhya Pradesh while the official capacity stands at 29,571, highlighting a difference of 18,942 and others.

While in other states such as Haryana, the inmate population of prisoners stands at 24,158 while the official capacity is 19,999, while in the National Capital Delhi, the inmate population is 18,295 while the capacity is 10,026 which is almost double. On the number of inmates, who are overstaying in jail post-completion of their jail term, the MoS noted that "As on December 31, 2021, there were 1,410 convicts lodged in the jails of the country due to non-payment of fines after completion of their sentence." With the rise in the crime rate across the country many criminals, robbers and those who were sentenced in civil disputes are being sent to jails. Hence, the prisons are filled to capacity.