Lok Sabha Question No. 1595 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-26
Subject: Women Prisoners
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: Queen Oja

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1595

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 26 TH  JULY, 2022/ SRAVANA 04, 1944 (SAKA)

WOMEN PRISONERS

1595. SHRIMATI QUEEN OJA:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a)  the  number  of  women  inmate  in  Prisons  in  the  country,  State-wise including in the State of Assam;

(b) the arrangements made by the Government for the medical facilities of the pregnant women who are undergoing imprisonment;

(c) the arrangments made by the Government for women, who give birth to child during imprisonment and the children who are born in prison; and

(d) whether education is provided by the Government to the children who are in prison with their mothers and if so, the details thereof?

ANSWER

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

(a)  :  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  2020.  State/UT-wise  number  of  women inmates  lodged  in  jails  of  the  country,  including  Assam,  as  on  31 st December, 2020 are given in Annexure.

## L.S.USQ. NO.1595 FOR 26.07.2022

(b)  to  (d):  'Prisons'/'persons  detained  therein'  is  a  'State  List'  subject under  Entry  4  of  List  II  of  the  Seventh  Schedule  to  the  Constitution  of India. Administration and management of prisoners is the responsibility of State  Governments,  who  are  competent  to  take  appropriate  steps  for providing  medical  facilities  to  inmates,  including  women  inmates.  The Ministry  of  Home  Affairs  (MHA)  has  been  supplementing  the  efforts  of State Governments by issuing various advisories and guidelines from time to time. MHA had issued a detailed advisory to the States and UTs sharing the  guidelines  for  providing  facilities  to  women  prisoners  and  their children,  which,  inter-alia,  provide  that  the  jails  must  have  adequate facilities for pre-natal and post-natal care for female prisoners as well as their children. These guidelines also provide that the children of inmates should have access to education, recreational facilities, food, shelter and medical assistance etc. A comprehensive Model Prison Manual 2016 was also prepared by MHA and forwarded to all States and UTs in 2016. The Manual  has  a  dedicated  chapter  on  'Women  Prisoners',  which  provides guidance on Pregnancy,  Child birth in Prisons, Children  of  Women prisoners,  Healthcare,  Diet  and  Food,  and  Personal  Hygiene,  etc.  The Model Prison Manual 2016 also provides that prison administration should ensure holistic development of children of women inmates. MHA had also circulated a report titled  'Women in Prisons'  prepared  by  the  Ministry  of

## L.S.USQ. NO.1595 FOR 26.07.2022

Women and Child Development to all States and UTs. The report, inter-alia, contains specific recommendations on 'children of women prisoners' and 'better living arrangements' for women inmates and their children, etc.

*******

| Sl.   | State/UT          |   Number of women prisoners |
|-------|-------------------|-----------------------------|
| 1     | ANDHRA PRADESH    |                         428 |
| 2     | ARUNACHAL PRADESH |                          10 |
| 3     | ASSAM             |                         294 |
| 4     | BIHAR             |                        1717 |
| 5     | CHHATTISGARH      |                         879 |
| 6     | GOA               |                          29 |
| 7     | GUJARAT           |                         567 |
| 8     | HARYANA           |                         590 |
| 9     | HIMACHAL PRADESH  |                         109 |
| 10    | JHARKHAND         |                         901 |
| 11    | KARNATAKA         |                         607 |
| 12    | KERALA            |                         133 |
| 13    | MADHYA PRADESH    |                        1812 |
| 14    | MAHARASHTRA       |                        1371 |
| 15    | MANIPUR           |                          46 |
| 16    | MEGHALAYA         |                          15 |
| 17    | MIZORAM           |                          63 |
| 18    | NAGALAND          |                           6 |
| 19    | ODISHA            |                         662 |
| 20    | PUNJAB            |                         987 |
| 21    | RAJASTHAN         |                         592 |
| 22    | SIKKIM            |                          12 |
| 23    | TAMILNADU         |                         632 |
| 24    | TELANGANA         |                         372 |
| 25    | TRIPURA           |                          26 |
| 26    | UTTAR PRADESH     |                        4527 |
| 27    | UTTARAKHAND       |                         241 |
| 28    | WEST BENGAL       |                        1753 |
| 29    | A &NISLANDS       |                          11 |
| 30    | CHANDIGARH        |                          45 |
| 31    | DNH&DAMANDIU      |                           7 |
| 32    | DELHI             |                         469 |
| 33    | JAMMU &KASHMIR    |                         128 |
| 34    | LADAKH            |                           1 |
| 35    | LAKSHADWEEP       |                           0 |
| 36    | PUDUCHERRY        |                           4 |
|       | TOTAL             |                       20046 |