•Parliamentary Committee ne new constructions, staff recruitment, inmate transfers, aur free legal aid recommend kiye hain taaki overcrowding aur understaffing ko address kiya ja sake.
•mein zyadatar states aur union territories apne sanctioned capacity se zyada prisons operate kar rahe the, jo systemic challenges ko dikhata hai.
India ke prison system mein 2024 mein thoda improvement hua hai, lekin overcrowding ab bhi ek bada problem hai. National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) ke latest Prison Statistics report ke according, 2024 mein prison occupancy rate 112.7% tak gir gaya hai, jo ki ek decade ka lowest hai. Par yeh problem ab bhi zyada hai, kyunki undertrial prisoners ki wajah se—jo ki trial ka intezaar kar rahe hain aur abhi tak convicted nahi hue hain—unka percentage 73% hai. Ye figure 2021 ke 77% se kam zaroor hai, lekin pre-pandemic level se kaafi zyada hai.
2024 ke end tak, India mein 1,333 active jails hain, jinke sanctioned capacity 4.53 lakh inmates ki hai. Lekin actual inmate population 5.11 lakh se zyada hai, jisse overcrowding ab bhi bani hui hai. Parliament ke Standing Committee on Home Affairs ne apne report *Prison–Conditions, Infrastructure and Reforms* mein kaha hai ki overcrowding limited resources ko stress kar rahi hai, living standards ko kharab kar rahi hai, inmates ke beech tension badha rahi hai, aur healthcare aur rehabilitation services tak access ko restrict kar rahi hai. Committee ne urgent measures suggest kiye hain jaise ki new prison facilities ka construction, existing barracks ka expansion, less crowded jails mein inmates ko transfer karna, aur system par burden kam karne ke liye free legal aid provide karna.
2015 se 2024 ke beech, India mein prison capacity 24% badhi hai, mainly renovations aur expansions ki wajah se 2,268 prisons mein. Iske alawa, is period mein 120 se zyada new prisons bhi banaye gaye hain. Par in efforts ke bawajood, capacity growth states mein uneven hai. 2024 mein zyadatar states aur union territories apne sanctioned capacity se zyada prisons operate kar rahe the. Delhi ka occupancy rate sabse zyada 194% hai, jo previous year ke 200% se thoda kam hai. Jammu aur Kashmir mein bhi occupancy rate 2015 ke 78% se badhkar 2023 aur 2024 mein 148% se zyada ho gaya hai.
Kuch states ne progress kiya hai, par kuch ab bhi severe overcrowding ka samna kar rahe hain. Jaise ki Chhattisgarh ka occupancy rate 2015 ke 234% se girkar 2024 mein 127.6% ho gaya hai. Uttar Pradesh, jisme pehle high rates the, usne bhi reduction dekhi hai. Lekin Delhi aur Bihar ab bhi struggle kar rahe hain, kyunki unke inmate population ka 87% se zyada undertrials hain. Nationally, 14 states aur union territories mein undertrials ka percentage national average se zyada hai.
Report mein ek aur major concern hai—prison staff ke vacancies ka high level. Parliamentary Committee ne note kiya hai ki staff shortages “sabse neglected part of prison administration” hain. Delhi aur Jammu aur Kashmir mein, jin states mein high occupancy aur undertrial rates hain, nearly 60% sanctioned prison staff positions khali hain. Kam se kam 8 states aur union territories mein, 50% prison staff posts khali hain, jisse overcrowded facilities ko manage karna aur security maintain karna aur bhi mushkil ho raha hai.
Report ne yeh bhi emphasize kiya hai ki jabki prison infrastructure thoda improve hua hai, kuch states abhi tak apni capacity ko growing inmate population ke hisaab se align nahi kar paye hain. Committee ne central aur state governments ke beech coordinated efforts ki recommendation ki hai taaki staff shortages ko address kiya ja sake, infrastructure ko expand kiya ja sake, aur legal processes ko speed up kiya ja sake taaki undertrials ki number kam ho sake. Agar aise measures nahi liye gaye, toh overcrowding, poor living conditions, aur limited access to justice ka cycle chalega, jisse prisoner rehabilitation aur reform ke efforts kamzor honge.
