Question : Decongestion of Jails

(a) whether the Government has taken any efforts to decongest jails in light of the COVID-pandemic, if so, the details thereof along with caste, religion and State-wise;

(b) the details of the number of under-trials still imprisoned as of 1 November, 2021;

(c) details of vaccination status of inmates in Indian prisons as of 1 November, 2021, State-wise;

(d) details of COVID-positive cases in Indian prisons as of November, 2021, State-wise; and

(e) details of prison inmate deaths in 2019-2020 and 2020-21, and proportion of deaths registered as COVID deaths, State-wise?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

(SHRI AJAY KUMAR MISHRA)
(a) & (b): ‘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 prisons and inmates is the responsibility of respective State Governments.
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
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LS.US.Q.NO.1601 FOR 07.12.2021
publication “Prison Statistics India”. The latest published report is of the year 2019. As on 31.12.2019, there were 3,30,487 undertrial prisoners in various jails of the country.
To address the issue of Covid-19 pandemic in Prisons, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had issued advisories to all States and UTs on 12.03.2020 and 02.05.2020, advising them to take appropriate precautions and steps for preventing the spread of Covid-19 in prisons. Detailed guidelines and protocols to be followed in prisons were also shared with all the States and UTs. Hon?ble Supreme Court of India had also issued directions to all the States and UTs in March 2020 and again in May 2021 for constituting High Powered Committees, which may determine the class of prisoners who may be released on parole or interim bail in view of the Covid-19 pandemic with a view to reducing overcrowding in prisons.
(c) & (d): The specific data has not been reported to National Crime Records Bureau by the States and UTs.
(e): State/UT-wise details of deaths of inmates in prisons during the year 2019 are given in Annexure. Specific data relating to Covid-19 is not available.
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