The problem of overcrowding in jails across the country continues to persist, reveal the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data on prisons in India.

Overcrowding in jails persisted during 2015-17 as the number of prison inmates grew by 7.4 per cent during the period, surpassing the 6.8 growth rate of jails’ capacity to lodge prisoners in them during the same period, revealed the recently-released NCRB report, compiling data for 2015 to 2017.

The NCRB report said a total of 1,361 jails across the country had more than 4.5 lakh prisoners - around 60,000 more than the total capacity of all prisons - at the end of 2017.

It said the number of inmates exceeded despite jails’ lodging capacity itself having increased from 3.66 lakh in 2015 to 3.80 lakh in 2016 and to 3.91 lakh in 2017, registering a 6.8 per cent rise in the jails’ housing capacity during the period.

Exceeding the growth rate of prisons’ housing capacity, the number of jail inmates, however, rose from 4.19 lakh in 2015 to 4.33 lakh in 2016 and to 4.5 lakh in 2017, registering a 7.4 per cent rise over 2015-17, the report said.

Due to the number of jail inmates rising by a rate higher than the prisons’ housing capacity, the occupancy rate in jails has increased from 114.4 per cent in 2015 to 115.1 per cent in 2017, the data showed.

Of the 4.5 lakh prisoners lodged in various jails at the end of 2017, 4,31,823 were male and 18,873 female, it said.

Among states, the NCRB report revealed, Uttar Pradesh faced the steepest problem of overcrowding in its jails despite having the highest capacity to accommodate prisoners among all states. Uttar Pradesh also had the largest number of jail inmates.

Uttar Pradesh has a total of 70 jails, which together can house 58,400 prisoners, contributing 14.9 per cent of the total capacity of jails to accommodate prisoners.

But with a total of 96,383 jail inmates at the end of 2017, Uttar Pradesh had an occupancy rate of over 165 per cent, the report said.

After UP, Bihar had the capacity to lodge 39,913 prisoners in its 58 jails in 2017, contributing to 10.2 per cent lodging capacity, but it had to accommodate 40,186 prisoners.

After Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, having 123 jails, has the capacity to house 28,227 inmates, contributing 7.2 per cent to the total lodging capacity of Indian jails, but it had a total of 38,708 prisoners in 2017.

UP had the highest number of prisoners (96,383), contributing 21.4 per cent of total prisoners followed by Bihar (40,186), MP (38,708), Maharashtra (33,699), Punjab (24,048) and West Bengal (23,092). These states together are contributing around 56.8 per cent of total prisoners at the national level.

UP has reported the highest occupancy rate of 165.04 per cent followed by Chhattisgarh (157.23 per cent) and Delhi (151.22 per cent) as on December 31, 2017, revealed the data.

According to the NCRB, central jails were having the highest capacity of inmates (1.74 lakh) followed by district jails (capacity of 1.53 lakh inmates) and sub jails (capacity of 44,577 inmates).

The highest number of inmates were lodged in central jails (2.04 lakh) followed by district jails (1.97 lakh) and sub jails (35,541) at the end of 2017, the data stated.

Key facts on prisons

The total number of prisons at the national level has decreased from 1,401 in 2015 to 1,361 in 2017.

The 1,361 prisons consist of 666 sub jails, 405 district jails, 142 central jails, 64 open jails, 41 special jails, 22 woman jails, 19 borstal school and two other jails.

The highest number of prisons were reported in Tamil Nadu (138), followed by

Rajasthan (128), Madhya Pradesh (123), Andhra Pradesh (105) and Karnataka (104). These five states together cover 43.94 per cent of total jails as on December 31, 2017.

Delhi has the highest number of central jails (14). However, states / UTs such as Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu and Lakshadweep have no central jails.

What is the NCRB?

The NCRB, under the Union ministry of home affairs, is responsible for collecting and analysing prison statistics in the country.

The NCRB was set up in 1986 to function as a repository of information on crime and criminals so as to assist investigators in linking crime to perpetrators based on the recommendations of the Tandon Committee to the National Police Commission (1977-81) and the home ministry’s task force (1985).

Subsequently, the NCRB was entrusted with the responsibility for monitoring, coordinating and implementing the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) project in 2009. The project connects more than 15,000 police stations and 6,000 higher offices of police in the country.

The NCRB launched the National Digital Police Portal on August 21, 2017. It allows search for a criminal / suspect on the CCTNS database apart from providing various services to citizens like filing of complaints online and seeking antecedent verification of tenants, domestic helps, drivers, etc.

The NCRB also compiles and publishes National Crime Statistics - crime in India, accidental deaths & suicides and also prison statistics. These publications serve as principal reference point by policymakers, police, criminologists, researchers and the media.

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