Indian prisons overcrowded to over 135 per cent: Govt

The Government today said jails in the country are overcrowded to more than 135 per cent and steps are being taken to reduce the prison population.

The Government on Tuesday said jails in the country are overcrowded to more than 135 per cent and steps are being taken to reduce the prison population.

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"The overcrowding in Indian prisons exists to the extent of 135.7 per cent," Union State Minister for Home Affairs Ajay Maken told Lok Sabha.

In order to reduce overcrowding and improve the condition of prisons and prisoners, the Central government started a non-plan scheme in 2002-03 for construction of additional prisons and barracks to reduce overcrowding, he said.

The scheme also aimed at repair and renovation of existing prisons, improve sanitation, water supply and living conditions of prisoners as also accommodation for prison staff.

"The scheme had a total outlay of Rs 1,800 crore on cost sharing basis in the ratio of 75:25 between the Central and state governments respectively. The scheme has now ended on March 31, 2009," Maken said.

As per the data compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the total number of jails in the country at the end of 2007 was 1,276. The total authorised capacity of these jails is 2,77,304.

The total number of undertrials lodged in these prisons was 2,50,727, which constitutes 66.6 per cent of the total inmates.