•India’s prison occupancy rate dropped to 112.7% in 2024, the lowest in a decade, but overcrowding remains a major issue.
•Undertrials make up 73% of the inmate population, down from 77% in 2021 but still significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels.
•Delhi has the highest occupancy rate at 194%, followed by Jammu and Kashmir at over 148%.
•Prison capacity increased by 24% between 2015 and 2024, with over 120 new prisons built, but capacity expansion remains uneven across states.
•Nearly 60% of sanctioned prison staff positions are vacant in Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir, worsening management challenges.
•The Parliamentary Committee recommended new constructions, staff recruitment, inmate transfers, and free legal aid to address overcrowding and understaffing.
•Over half of India’s states and union territories operated prisons beyond capacity in 2024, indicating systemic challenges in prison management.
India’s prison system continues to grapple with severe overcrowding despite a modest improvement in 2024, according to the latest Prison Statistics report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). The occupancy rate in Indian jails fell to a decade-low of 112.7% in 2024, a slight decline from previous years. However, the problem remains acute, driven primarily by the high number of undertrial prisoners—those awaiting trial and not yet convicted—who constitute 73% of the total inmate population. This figure, though down from 77% in 2021, is still significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels.
At the end of 2024, India had 1,333 operational jails with a sanctioned capacity of 4.53 lakh inmates. Yet, the actual inmate population stood at over 5.11 lakh, resulting in persistent overcrowding. A Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, in its report titled *Prison–Conditions, Infrastructure and Reforms*, highlighted that overcrowding strains limited resources, compromises living standards, increases tensions among inmates, and restricts access to healthcare and rehabilitation services. The committee recommended urgent measures such as constructing new prison facilities, expanding existing barracks, transferring inmates to less crowded jails, and providing free legal aid to reduce the burden on the system.
Between 2015 and 2024, prison capacity in India increased by 24%, largely due to renovations and expansions across 2,268 prisons. Additionally, over 120 new prisons were constructed during this period. Despite these efforts, capacity growth has been uneven across states. More than half of India’s states and union territories continued to operate prisons beyond their sanctioned capacity in 2024. Delhi recorded the highest occupancy rate at 194%, a slight improvement from 200% in the previous year. Jammu and Kashmir also saw a sharp rise in occupancy, from 78% in 2015 to over 148% in 2023 and 2024.
While some states have made progress, others continue to face severe overcrowding. For instance, Chhattisgarh’s occupancy rate dropped significantly from 234% in 2015 to 127.6% in 2024. Uttar Pradesh, which previously had high rates, has also seen a reduction. However, states like Delhi and Bihar continue to struggle, with over 87% of their inmate populations consisting of undertrials. Nationally, the share of undertrials remains disproportionately high in 14 states and union territories compared to the national average.
Another pressing concern highlighted in the report is the high level of staff vacancies in prisons. The Parliamentary Committee noted that staff shortages have been “the most neglected part of prison administration.” In Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir—states with high occupancy and undertrial rates—nearly 60% of sanctioned prison staff positions remained vacant. In at least eight states and union territories, up to 50% of prison staff posts were unfilled, exacerbating the challenges of managing overcrowded facilities and maintaining security.
The report also emphasized that while prison infrastructure has improved modestly, several states have yet to align their capacity with the growing inmate population. The committee recommended coordinated efforts between the central and state governments to address staff shortages, expand infrastructure, and expedite legal processes to reduce the number of undertrials. Without such measures, the cycle of overcrowding, poor living conditions, and limited access to justice is likely to persist, undermining efforts toward prisoner rehabilitation and reform.
