Lok Sabha Question No. 2084 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-20
Subject: Women Inmates
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: Karti P. Chidambaram

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2084

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 20 TH  DECEMBER, 2022/ AGRAHAYANA 29, 1944 (SAKA)

WOMEN INMATES

2084.      SHRI KARTI P. CHIDAMBARAM:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  there  is  only  fifteen  States/UTs  jails  exclusively  meant  for women and if so, the reasons therefor, State/UT-wise;

(b)  whether it is  a fact that  the capacity of women jails is less than the actual  number  of  women  prisoners  in  the  country  and  if  so,  the  details thereof;

(c)  whether  the  Government  maintains  a  database  of  children  of  women prisoners  who  are  above  the  age  of  six  years  and  living  in  Child  Care Institutions or with next of kin and if so, the details thereof;

(d)  whether  the  Government  has  done  any  study  to  assess  the  state  of children of women prisoners and if so, the details thereof;

(e)  whether  there  is  any  proposal  in  place  to  grant  bail  to  under-trial women  who  have  spent  one  third  of  their  maximum  possible  sentence, based  on  the  recommendation  of  the  report  titled  'Women  in  Prisons'  in 2018; and

(f) if not, the reasons therefor?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI AJAY KUMAR MISHRA)

(a)  and  (b):  The  National  Crime  Records  Bureau  (NCRB)  compiles  prison statistics  reported  to  it  by  the  States  and  Union  Territories  (UTs)  and publishes   the  same  in  its annual  publication  'Prison  Statistics India'.

The latest published report is of the year 2021. State/UT-wise number of exclusive women prisons, their available capacity and inmate population as on 31 st  December, 2021 are given in Annexure. As against the available capacity  of  6767  inmates  in  the  exclusive  Women  jails,  the  inmate population  is  3808.  'Prisons'/'persons  detained  therein'  is  a  'State  List' subject under List II of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India, who are competent to set up exclusive Women jails in their jurisdictions, as per local need and requirement.

- (c): Specific data in this regard is not maintained by NCRB.

(d):   Administration and management of prisoners, including the children of  women  prisoners  in  jails,  is  the  responsibility  of  respective  State Governments. Specific information of any study carried out in this regard is not available. The Model Prison Manual 2016 circulated to all States and UTs by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), inter-alia, provides guidance on facilities to be extended to women prisoners and their children.

(e) and (f):  Prisoners are granted bail in accordance with the provisions of law and on the orders of the Court. However, the recommendations made by  the  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development  in  its  Report  titled 'Women  in  Prisons'  were  shared  by  MHA  with  all  States  and  UTs  for implementation of the suggestions made in the Report.

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| S. No.   | State/UT          |   Number of Women Prisons |   Available capacity |   Inmate Population |
|----------|-------------------|---------------------------|----------------------|---------------------|
| 1        | ANDHRA PRADESH    |                         2 |                  280 |                 151 |
| 2        | ARUNACHAL PRADESH |                         0 |                    0 |                   0 |
| 3        | ASSAM             |                         0 |                    0 |                   0 |
| 4        | BIHAR             |                         2 |                  202 |                 234 |
| 5        | CHHATTISGARH      |                         0 |                    0 |                   0 |
| 6        | GOA               |                         0 |                    0 |                   0 |
| 7        | GUJARAT           |                         2 |                  410 |                 203 |
| 8        | HARYANA           |                         0 |                    0 |                   0 |
| 9        | HIMACHAL PRADESH  |                         0 |                    0 |                   0 |
| 10       | JHARKHAND         |                         0 |                    0 |                   0 |
| 11       | KARNATAKA         |                         1 |                  100 |                  94 |
| 12       | KERALA            |                         3 |                  232 |                  91 |
| 13       | MADHYAPRADESH     |                         0 |                    0 |                   0 |
| 14       | MAHARASHTRA       |                         1 |                  262 |                 286 |
| 15       | MANIPUR           |                         0 |                    0 |                   0 |
| 16       | MEGHALAYA         |                         0 |                    0 |                   0 |
| 17       | MIZORAM           |                         1 |                   96 |                  55 |
| 18       | NAGALAND          |                         0 |                    0 |                   0 |
| 19       | ODISHA            |                         1 |                   55 |                  15 |
| 20       | PUNJAB            |                         1 |                  320 |                 221 |
| 21       | RAJASTHAN         |                         7 |                  998 |                 453 |
| 22       | SIKKIM            |                         0 |                    0 |                   0 |
| 23       | TAMIL NADU        |                         5 |                 2018 |                 574 |
| 24       | TELANGANA         |                         1 |                  260 |                 283 |
| 25       | TRIPURA           |                         0 |                    0 |                   0 |
| 26       | UTTAR PRADESH     |                         2 |                  540 |                 309 |
| 27       | UTTARAKHAND       |                         0 |                    0 |                   0 |
| 28       | WEST BENGAL       |                         1 |                  314 |                 280 |
| 29       | A &NISLANDS       |                         0 |                    0 |                   0 |
| 30       | CHANDIGARH        |                         0 |                    0 |                   0 |
| 31       | DNH &DAMANDIU     |                         0 |                    0 |                   0 |
| 32       | DELHI             |                         2 |                  680 |                 559 |
| 33       | JAMMU &KASHMIR    |                         0 |                    0 |                   0 |
| 34       | LADAKH            |                         0 |                    0 |                   0 |
| 35       | LAKSHADWEEP       |                         0 |                    0 |                   0 |
| 36       | PUDUCHERRY        |                         0 |                    0 |                   0 |
|          | TOTAL             |                        32 |                 6767 |                3808 |