At 41,075, Number Of Inmates In Maharashtra Jails Exceeds Capacity: Report

The number of inmates in 60 jails in Maharashtra stood at 41,075 as on January 31, 2023, while the total capacity is 24,722, as per the Prison Department statistics.

The statistical report for the period ending December 2021 has indicated a steady excess occupancy in jails over years.

The combined capacity of 60 jails in the state is 24,722.

The number of inmates in 18 out of the total of 60 jails in the state is double or more than twice the capacity as on January 31, 2023, it said.

These jails include Mumbai Central Jail (446% occupancy rate), Thane Central Jail (389%), and Buldhana District Jail (387%) among others.

At 5,966, Yerawada Central Jail in Pune had the highest number of inmates as of December 31, 2021, followed by Thane Central Jail at 4,471, Mumbai Central Jail at 3,424, and Taloja Jail at 2,819.

The report stated the jail occupancy in the state was 136.19% in 2017, 148.93% in 2018, 152.72% in 2019, 128.70% in 2020 and 148.80 in 2021. In 2021, Maharashtra stood seventh in the country in terms of occupancy rate.

The average number of inmates in the total 60 jails in 2021 was 34,818, of which 96% were men and 4% were women.

As on January 31, 2023, the number of inmates in all jails was 41,075 of which 39,504 were men, 1,556 were women, and 15 were trans-genders. Of them, 7,949 were convicts, 32,917 undertrials, and 209 detainees. There were also a total of 606 foreign inmates in the jails, it said.

During 2021-22, the factory industry in jails earned Rs 11.10 crore and Rs 2.36 crore through agricultural produce.

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