Even as the United States has the largest prison population in the world, Indian jails are not far behind. As of December 2017, the country's jails are more than 150 per cent over-crowded, advocate Gaurav Agrawal submitted before a bench of the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
The number of vacant positions for jail staff also remains high, nationally at 30 per cent; Agrawal said reading from a report prepared by NALSA. Bihar jails had the highest number of vacancies with 3,203 positions lying vacant. Delhi has 1,407 vacant posts, followed by Karnataka (1,386), Punjab (1,035), and Tamil Nadu (991).
The top court was hearing a suo motu plea on the issue of overcrowding in jails. At the previous hearing, it had directed Agrawal, who is the Amicus Curiae in this matter, to prepare a report outlining the conditions of jails in our country.
In his report, Agrawal also spoke about the concept of open jails and the discrimination faced by female prisoners who were not entitled to this provision. He added that the Ministry for Women and Child Development is planning to go on an inspection of all the female jails in the country.
Speaking to DNA, Agrawal said this development was important because a union ministry was taking interest in what is considered to be a state subject. Those states who had not yet filed their response, were also directed to do so by the stipulated time or else it would face charges of contempt, the top court said.
Number Speak
Bihar jails have the highest number of vacancies with 3,203 positions lying vacant. Delhi has 1,407 vacant posts, followed by Karnataka (1,386), Punjab (1,035), and Tamil Nadu (991)
