Chapter – 1

Prison Institutions

Introduction The most common and standard jail institutions which are in existence in the Prison institutions are known by States/UTs are better known as central jails, different names by different countries like district jails and sub jails. The other types of ‘Correctional Facilities’, ‘Detention Centre’, jail establishments are women jails, borstal ‘Jails’, ‘Remand Centre’ etc. Earlier notion of schools, open jails and special jails. prison as a facilities in which inmates are forcibly confined and deprived a variety of Details on number of jails in the freedom as a form of punishment has States/UTs is given in Table 1.2 State of changed with a change in social perception has the highest number (154 out towards prison and prisoners. It is now of 1,401) of jails among the States/UTs treated as correction or improvement facility followed by (137), which itself indicates that there is more (126), Madhya Pradesh (123), Andhra emphasis on reformation of prisoners than to Pradesh (112) and (102). punish them. To achieve this goal, a Arunachal Pradesh has only two district jails. congenial atmosphere is required to be Central Jail created in jails for reformation of the inmates. Apart from emphasis on social & ethical The criteria for a jail to be categorised values for amalgamation in mainstream as a central jail differs from State to State. society after release they also require However, the common features observed in all education, recreational & vocational training the States/UTs are that the prisoners facilities so that they not only correct their sentenced to imprisonment for a longer period hostile attitude towards society which will (more than 2 years) are confined in the central help them to integrate with the mainstream of jails, which have larger capacity in comparison society but also provide alternate source of to other jails. These jails also have livelihood. rehabilitation facilities. Arunachal Pradesh,

In last few decades prison population Meghalaya, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, have increased tremendously which create Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu and number of challenges before prison Lakshadweep do not have any central jail in administration like security & safety in prison, their territories. Madhya Pradesh had the hygienic issues, overcrowding etc. Hence highest number of 11 central jails followed the comprehensive database on various aspects Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan & Tamil Nadu (9 each) and Karnataka & Delhi (8 each). of prison institutions are required to understand and analyze issues and The State/UT-wise information challenges before prison management. This relating to capacity of central jails is report contains comprehensive information at presented in Table-2.2. The available the national level on majority of such aspects information regarding capacity for prison of these institutions hence has been found to inmates in central jails in respect of be of immense use to the prison authorities in States/UTs indicates that Punjab (15,322) planning various activities relating to the Maharashtra (14,841), Tamil Nadu (14,127), prison administration. This report for the year Madhya Pradesh (13,422), West Bengal 2015 is the twenty first issues in the series. (12,300) and Bihar (11,836) have

Number of Prisons in the States/UTs comparatively larger capacity followed by Rajasthan (9,306), (8,760), Uttar Prison and its administration is a State Pradesh (7,769), Gujarat (7,680) and Subject as it is listed in List II in Schedule VII of Karnataka (7,162). the Constitution of . Prison Establishments in different States/UTs Central jails in Punjab (1,030), comprise several tiers of jails. Karnataka (694), Madhya Pradesh (623), Gujarat (480), West Bengal (460) and Gujarat

Prison Statistics India-2015 1 (480) have comparatively higher capacity to Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, , accommodate female prisoners. Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Delhi have one women jail each. The total capacity of District Jail women inmates was highest in Tamil Nadu (1,569) followed by Rajasthan (450), Uttar District jails serve as the main prisons Pradesh (420), Delhi (400), Punjab (320), in some of the States/UTs. States which have West Bengal (300), (272), considerable number of district jails are Uttar Maharashtra (262), Telangana (250), Gujarat Pradesh (57) followed by Madhya Pradesh (210) and Andhra Pradesh (160) (Table 2.5). (39), Bihar (31), Maharashtra (28), Rajasthan (24), Assam (22), Karnataka (19), Jharkhand Borstal School (17), Haryana (16) and West Bengal (12) (Table 1.2). The primary objective of borstal schools is to ensure care, welfare and The district jails in Uttar Pradesh rehabilitation of young offenders in a different (43,289), Bihar (18,486), Haryana (14,115), environment suitable for children and keep Madhya Pradesh (8,771), Maharashtra them away from contaminating atmosphere of (6,938), West Bengal (5,217), Jharkhand the prison. The juveniles in conflict with law (4,975), Rajasthan (4,020), Karnataka (3,861) detained in borstal schools are provided and Assam (3,832) have the capacity of various vocational trainings. They are also lodging a large number of inmates (Table 2.3). given education with the help of trained

teachers. Generally district jails in some States have comparatively higher capacity for Nine States namely, Tamil Nadu (12) accommodation of female inmates also these and , Jharkhand, Karnataka, States were Uttar Pradesh (2,635), Haryana Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan & (1,247), Madhya Pradesh (628) and Bihar Telangana (1 each) have reported borstal (599). schools in their respective jurisdiction (Table

Sub Jail 1.2). Tamil Nadu had the highest capacity for keeping 692 inmates followed by Punjab (500), Nine States have reported Karnataka (200), Maharashtra (105), comparatively higher number of sub-jails Jharkhand (100), Telangana (93), Kerala (90), revealing a well organized prison set-up even Himachal Pradesh (30) and Rajasthan (20). at lower formation. These States are Himachal Pradesh (15) and Kerala (12) are the Maharashtra (100), Andhra Pradesh (99), only States which have reported capacity for Tamil Nadu (96), Odisha (73), Madhya lodging female inmates in their borstal schools Pradesh (72), Karnataka (70), Rajasthan (60) (Table 2.6). Existence of borstal schools was and West Bengal & Telangana (33 each) not reported from any of the UTs. while 9 States/UTs have no sub-jails (namely Open Jail Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Prisoners with good behaviour Chandigarh and Delhi) (Table 1.2). satisfying certain norms prescribed in the

The State of Odisha had the highest prison rules are admitted in open prisons. capacity of inmates (10,272) in various sub- Minimum security is kept in such prisons and jails followed by Madhya Pradesh (5,289), prisoners are engaged in agricultural activities.

Rajasthan (4,234), Bihar (4,012), Andhra Only 17 States have reported about Pradesh (3,302), Tamil Nadu (3,100), the functioning of open jails in their jurisdiction. Maharashtra (2,361), Karnataka (2,297) and Amongst these States, Rajasthan has reported West Bengal (2,132) (Table 2.4). the highest number of 29 open jails followed

Women Jail by Maharashtra (13) Kerala & Tamil Nadu (3 each) and Gujarat & West Bengal (2 jails Women jails exclusively for women each). The remaining 11 States – Andhra prisoners exist only in 13 States/UT (Table Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, 1.2). Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Telangana and Uttarakhand Tamil Nadu & Kerala have 3 women have one open jail each. jails each and Rajasthan have 2 women jails. Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat,

Prison Statistics India-2015 2

The highest capacity of inmates in Puducherry (2 jails each) and Assam, Bihar, open jails was reported from Maharashtra Maharashtra, Rajasthan & A&N Islands (1 jail (1,522) followed by Rajasthan (1,325), Kerala each) (Table 1.2). (469), Uttarakhand & Andhra Pradesh (300 each), Tamil Nadu (260), Himachal Pradesh As far as the available capacity in (210), Telangana (150), Odisha & West these jails is concerned, the highest capacity Bengal (125 each) , Bihar (104), Assam & for keeping the prisoners was available in Gujarat & Jharkhand (100 each), Karnataka Bihar (3,288) followed by Odisha (1,551), (80) and Punjab (75) (Table 2.7). Kerala (1,010), West Bengal (842), A & N Islands (800), Uttar Pradesh (788), Gujarat Special Jail (650), Tamil Nadu (576), Assam (372) and

Special jail means any prison provided Rajasthan (264) in their special jails. Provision for the confinement of a particular class or for keeping female prisoners in these special particular classes of prisoners which are jails was available in Tamil Nadu (404), West broadly as follows: Bengal (70), Gujarat (50), Telangana (44), Kerala (40), Odisha (39), Puducherry (16) i) Prisoners who have committed serious Assam & Karnataka (12 each) and violations of prison discipline. Maharashtra (3) (Table 2.8). ii) Prisoners showing tendencies towards violence and aggression. Other Jails iii) Difficult discipline cases of habitual offenders. Some States/UTs have other jails also iv) Difficult discipline cases from a group of besides the jails discussed above. Only three professional/organised criminals. States namely Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra (1 each) have other jails in their Out of the fourteen States/UTs having jurisdiction. The capacity of inmates (male & special jails, Kerala has the highest number of female) in such jails was highest in Karnataka special jails (16) followed by Tamil Nadu (5), (250) followed by Kerala (142) and Telangana (4), West Bengal (3) jails, Gujarat, Maharashtra (28) at the end of the year 2015 Karnataka, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh & (Table 2.9).   

All India -

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