Lok Sabha Question No. 385 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-02-04
Subject: Staff Shortage in Prisons
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: Gurjeet Singh Aujla

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 385

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 4 TH  FEBRUARY, 2020/ MAGHA 15, 1941 (SAKA) STAFF SHORTAGE IN PRISONS

385. SHRI GURJEET SINGH AUJLA:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether it  is a  fact  that  in  most  of  the  prisons,  the  staff  strength  is much  below  the  national  average  as  per  the  National  Crime  Records Bureau (NCRB);
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether  most  of  the  jails  are  over-crowded  and  medical  assistance provided inside the premises is not adequate; and
- (d)  if  so,  the  details  in  this  regard  and  the  steps  being  taken  by  the Government to provide adequate doctors and dispensaries in jails?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)

(a) & (b): National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) compiles prison statistics  reported  to  it  by  States  and  Union  Territories  (UTs)  and publishes the same in its report 'Prison Statistics India'. Latest published report is of the year 2018. State/UT-wise sanctioned and actual strength of total jail staff as on 31.12.2018 are given in Annexure-I.

(c) & (d): State/UT-wise details of capacity, inmate population and occupancy  rate  of  jails  as  on  31.12.2018  are  given  in  Annexure-II. State/UT-wise details of number of prison inmates per Medical Staff are given in Annexure-III.

- -2-

## L.S.US.Q.NO.385 FOR 04.02.2020

'Prisons'  and  'persons  detained  therein'  are  State  subjects  as  per Entry  4  of  List  II  of  Seventh  Schedule  to  the  Constitution  of  India.  The States  and  UTs  are  competent  to  take  appropriate  action  in  their respective  jurisdictions  to  provide  adequate  medical  facilities  to  prison inmates. However, the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued advisories to States & UTs for initiating special recruitment drives to fill up the vacant posts of prison officials and appointing adequate number of psychiatrists, counsellors  and  doctors.  A  Model  Prison  Manual,  2016  has  also  been circulated  to  all  States  and  UTs  which  has  a  dedicated  chapter  on 'Medical Care'.

## **********

## LS.US.Q.NO.385 FOR 04.02.2020

## State/UT-wise Sanctioned and Actual Strength of Total Jail Staff as on 31 st  December, 2018

| SI.No.   | State/UT           |   Sanctioned |   Actual | %of actual to sanctioned strength   |
|----------|--------------------|--------------|----------|-------------------------------------|
| 1        | ANDHRA PRADESH     |         2646 |     1997 | 75.47                               |
| 2        | ARUNACHAL PRADESH  |          187 |      174 | 93.05                               |
| 3        | ASSAM              |         1189 |      914 | 76.87                               |
| 4        | BIHAR              |         8562 |     5213 | 60.89                               |
| 5        | CHHATTISGARH       |         1949 |     1494 | 76.65                               |
| 6        | GOA                |          274 |      183 | 66.79                               |
| 7        | GUJARAT            |         3213 |     2128 | 66.23                               |
| 8        | HARYANA            |         3696 |     2695 | 72.92                               |
| 9        | HIMACHAL PRADESH   |          754 |      503 | 66.71                               |
| 10       | JAMMU & KASHMIR ++ |         1581 |      933 | 59.01                               |
| 11       | JHARKHAND          |         2699 |      868 | 32.16                               |
| 12       | KARNATAKA          |         3459 |     2590 | 74.88                               |
| 13       | KERALA             |         1971 |     1832 | 92.95                               |
| 14       | MADHYA PRADESH     |         6659 |     5221 | 78.41                               |
| 15       | MAHARASHTRA        |         5065 |     4464 | 88.13                               |
| 16       | MANIPUR            |          574 |      523 | 91.11                               |
| 17       | MEGHALAYA          |          292 |      241 | 82.53                               |
| 18       | MIZORAM            |          372 |      272 | 73.12                               |
| 19       | NAGALAND           |          583 |      580 | 99.49                               |
| 20       | ODISHA             |         2964 |     2426 | 81.85                               |
| 21       | PUNJAB             |         3676 |     2680 | 72.91                               |
| 22       | RAJASTHAN          |         4438 |     2891 | 65.14                               |
| 23       | SIKKIM             |          188 |       91 | 48.40                               |
| 24       | TAMILNADU          |         5798 |     4646 | 80.13                               |
| 25       | TELANGANA          |         1924 |     1596 | 82.95                               |
| 26       | TRIPURA            |          640 |      425 | 66.41                               |
| 27       | UTTAR PRADESH      |        11130 |     6278 | 56.41                               |
| 28       | UTTARAKHAND        |         1033 |      657 | 63.60                               |
| 29       | WEST BENGAL#       |         4582 |     3194 | 69.71                               |
|          | TOTAL (STATES)     |        82098 |    57709 | 70.29                               |
| 30       | A & N ISLANDS      |          148 |      112 | 75.68                               |
| 31       | CHANDIGARH         |          204 |       98 | 48.04                               |
| 32       | D & N HAVELI* @    |            0 |        6 | -                                   |
| 33       | DAMAN & DIU@       |           18 |       12 | 66.67                               |
| 34       | DELHI              |         3249 |     1999 | 61.53                               |
| 35       | LAKSHADWEEP        |            0 |        0 | -                                   |
| 36       | PUDUCHERRY         |          123 |       88 | 71.54                               |
|          | TOTAL (UTs)        |         3742 |     2315 | 61.87                               |
|          | TOTAL (ALL-INDIA)  |        85840 |    60024 | 69.93                               |

-  Prison Statistics India as per data provided by States/UTs.
* No separate staff for Jails. The Sub Divisional Officers and subordinates are looking after the jails also.
- # Due to non-receipt of data from West Bengal for 2018, data furnished for 2017 has been used.
- ++  Now Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh.
- @   Now  the Union Territories -D& N Haveli and Daman & Diu are merged.

## ANNEXURE-II LS.US.Q.NO.385 FOR 04.02.2020

## State/UT-wise Capacity, Inmate Population and Occupancy Rate of Jails as on 31 st  December, 2018

| SI.No.   | State/UT           |   Available Capacity |   Inmate Population |   Occupancy Rate (in %) |
|----------|--------------------|----------------------|---------------------|-------------------------|
| 1        | ANDHRA PRADESH     |                 8786 |                6988 |                    79.5 |
| 2        | ARUNACHAL PRADESH  |                  233 |                 245 |                   105.2 |
| 3        | ASSAM              |                 8888 |                8282 |                    93.2 |
| 4        | BIHAR              |                41441 |               38685 |                    93.3 |
| 5        | CHHATTISGARH       |                12063 |               18494 |                   153.3 |
| 6        | GOA                |                  624 |                 435 |                    69.7 |
| 7        | GUJARAT            |                13345 |               14980 |                   112.3 |
| 8        | HARYANA            |                18471 |               19270 |                   104.3 |
| 9        | HIMACHAL PRADESH   |                 2178 |                2254 |                   103.5 |
| 10       | JAMMU & KASHMIR ++ |                 2660 |                3085 |                   116   |
| 11       | JHARKHAND          |                16094 |               20629 |                   128.2 |
| 12       | KARNATAKA          |                13711 |               13944 |                   101.7 |
| 13       | KERALA             |                 6806 |                7638 |                   112.2 |
| 14       | MADHYA PRADESH     |                28601 |               42057 |                   147   |
| 15       | MAHARASHTRA        |                24095 |               35884 |                   148.9 |
| 16       | MANIPUR            |                 1272 |                 920 |                    72.3 |
| 17       | MEGHALAYA          |                  650 |                 933 |                   143.5 |
| 18       | MIZORAM            |                 1601 |                1677 |                   104.7 |
| 19       | NAGALAND           |                 1450 |                 442 |                    30.5 |
| 20       | ODISHA             |                19176 |               16501 |                    86.1 |
| 21       | PUNJAB             |                23488 |               22486 |                    95.7 |
| 22       | RAJASTHAN          |                21892 |               20134 |                    92   |
| 23       | SIKKIM             |                  246 |                 387 |                   157.3 |
| 24       | TAMIL NADU         |                22792 |               13674 |                    60   |
| 25       | TELANGANA          |                 7195 |                5550 |                    77.1 |
| 26       | TRIPURA            |                 2174 |                1042 |                    47.9 |
| 27       | UTTAR PRADESH      |                58914 |              104011 |                   176.5 |
| 28       | UTTARAKHAND        |                 3540 |                5311 |                   150   |
| 29       | WEST BENGAL#       |                21772 |               23092 |                   106.1 |
|          | TOTAL (STATES)     |               384158 |              449030 |                   116.9 |
| 30       | A & N ISLANDS      |                  309 |                 184 |                    59.5 |
| 31       | CHANDIGARH         |                 1120 |                1035 |                    92.4 |
| 32       | D & N HAVELI@      |                   70 |                  39 |                    55.7 |
| 33       | DAMAN & DIU@       |                   60 |                  59 |                    98.3 |
| 34       | DELHI              |                10026 |               15468 |                   154.3 |
| 35       | LAKSHADWEEP        |                   64 |                   1 |                     1.6 |
| 36       | PUDUCHERRY         |                  416 |                 268 |                    64.4 |
|          | TOTAL (UTs)        |                12065 |               17054 |                   141.4 |
|          | TOTAL (ALL-INDIA)  |               396223 |              466084 |                   117.6 |

# Occupancy Rate =  Inmate Population   x 100 Total Capacity

Occupancy Rate <100 shows space available for inmates in prisons.

Occupancy Rate >100 shows overcrowding in prisons.

-  Prison Statistics India as per data provided by States/UTs.
- # Due to non-receipt of data from West Bengal for 2018, data furnished for 2017 has been used.
- ++ Now Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh.
- @  Now  the Union Territories -D& N Haveli and Daman & Diu are merged.

## ANNEXURE-III LS.US.Q.NO.385 FOR 04.02.2020

## State/UT-wise Number of Inmates per Medical Staff as on 31st December, 2018

| Sl. No.   |                    | Medical Staff   | Medical Staff                       |
|-----------|--------------------|-----------------|-------------------------------------|
| Sl. No.   |                    | Number of Staff | Number of inmates per medical staff |
| 1         | ANDHRA PRADESH     | 40              | 174                                 |
| 2         | ARUNACHAL PRADESH  | 9               | 27                                  |
| 3         | ASSAM              | 48              | 172                                 |
| 4         | BIHAR              | 238             | 162                                 |
| 5         | CHHATTISGARH       | 53              | 348                                 |
| 6         | GOA                | 1               | 435                                 |
| 7         | GUJARAT            | 77              | 194                                 |
| 8         | HARYANA            | 62              | 310                                 |
| 9         | HIMACHAL PRADESH   | 16              | 140                                 |
| 10        | JAMMU & KASHMIR ++ | 70              | 44                                  |
| 11        | JHARKHAND          | 15              | 1375                                |
| 12        | KARNATAKA          | 21              | 664                                 |
| 13        | KERALA             | 36              | 212                                 |
| 14        | MADHYA PRADESH     | 104             | 404                                 |
| 15        | MAHARASHTRA        | 73              | 491                                 |
| 16        | MANIPUR            | 33              | 27                                  |
| 17        | MEGHALAYA          | 18              | 51                                  |
| 18        | MIZORAM            | 11              | 152                                 |
| 19        | NAGALAND           | 5               | 88                                  |
| 20        | ODISHA             | 111             | 148                                 |
| 21        | PUNJAB             | 84              | 267                                 |
| 22        | RAJASTHAN          | 106             | 189                                 |
| 23        | SIKKIM             | 4               | 96                                  |
| 24        | TAMIL NADU         | 96              | 142                                 |
| 25        | TELANGANA          | 52              | 106                                 |
| 26        | TRIPURA            | 25              | 41                                  |
| 27        | UTTAR PRADESH      | 141             | 737                                 |
| 28        | UTTARAKHAND        | 14              | 379                                 |
| 29        | WEST BENGAL        | 25              | 923                                 |
|           | TOTAL (STATES)     | 1588            | 282                                 |
| 30        | A & N ISLANDS      | 6               | 30                                  |
| 31        | CHANDIGARH         | 4               | 258                                 |
| 32        | D & N HAVELI@      | 0               | -                                   |
| 33        | DAMAN & DIU@       | 0               | -                                   |
| 34        | DELHI              | 314             | 49                                  |
| 35        | LAKSHADWEEP        | 0               | -                                   |
| 36        | PUDUCHERRY         | 2               | 134                                 |
|           | TOTAL (UTs)        | 326             | 52                                  |
|           | TOTAL (ALL-INDIA)  | 1914            | 243                                 |

Source: Prison Statistics India as per data provided by States/UTs. -  indicates No Staff # Due to non-receipt of data from West Bengal for 2018, data furnished for 2017 has been used. ++ Now Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh.

- @  Now the Union Territories -D& N Haveli and Daman & Diu are merged.
- ------------