Indian jails suffer from 29.2 per cent overcrowding with the total prison population at a staggering 3,84,753 which is 0.034 per cent of the total population of the country. The home ministry last week reviewed the conditions of prisons and noted that most states have not been able to reduce
the number of undertrial prisoners who are constituting 67 per cent of the total prison population. The Centre’s concern comes at a time when the Danish high court has refused to extradite Purulia arms drop case accused Kim Davy to face trial citing alleged poor prison and human rights conditions in India. The government had strongly objected to the observations made by the Danish high court.
The home ministry last week held a video conferencing with the prison authorities asking them to take urgent steps to utilise the central funds and show results in terms of constructing new jails, reducing overcrowding, upgrading correctional staff and improvement of water and sanitation in prisons. The Centre had provided `1,800 crore to states under the Modernisation of Prisons scheme but it was noted that most states have not been able to achieve the targets. “While the trend of overcrowding in prisons has witnessed a decline, the states need to build more prisons as well as improve the jail conditions,” a senior government official said. Presently, there are around 1356 prisons in the country with an authorised capacity of 2,97,777 persons.
The MHA has also written to the states asking them to appoint ‘’non official visitors’’ for all prisons ‘’without delay’’ to make the working of prisons ‘’transparent’’ and help in maintaining ‘’human rights standards’’. The home ministry noted that the role of NOVs, as suggested by the State Human Rights Commissions, is critical to monitor prison conditions, implementation of prison reforms, legal, mental and rehabilitative assistance, prisoners’ grievance and staff problems. The MHA has also told states that in cases of inordinate delay in trial, the undertrial prisoners should be mandatorily released. The MHA also wrote to the principal secretaries incharge of prisons across states on June 16 urging them to avail IGNOU facilities and work towards achieving complete literacy among prisoners.