Question : PRISONERS LODGED IN JAILS

(a) the total number of prisoners lodged in jails vis-a-vis the capacity of the jails, gender and State-wise;

(b) the details of facilities provided to the prisoners including security, rehabilitation, education and medical facilities;

(c) whether the Government has constituted any Committee to look into the issue of modernization of jails and particularly on rehabilitation of the inmates;

(d) if so, whether such Committee has submitted its report;

(e) if so, the details of the recommendations made and implemented by the States;

(f) whether there is a rehabilitation proposal or plan to link the inmates with the ‘Made in India’ project and if so, the details thereof; and

(g) the measures taken by the Government for modernisation of jails in the next few years?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI HARIBHAI PARATHIBHAI CHAUDHARY)

(a) As per the data compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau at the end of 2013, there were 4,11,992 inmates in the jails of the country out of the capacity of 3,47,859. A State/UT wise statement showing number of jails, capacity along with prisoners lodged is given at Annexure.

(b) ‘Prisons’ is a State subject under Entry 4 of List II of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution, and Prison Administration is primarily the responsibility of the State Governments.

(c)to(e) All India Jail Reforms Committee (1980) (popularly known as Justice Mulla Committee), Kapoor Committee (1986), Justice Krishna Iyer Committee on women prisoners (1986) and Model Prison Manual (2003) have made recommendations, touching on the various aspects of prison administration particularly relating to prison buildings, living conditions in prisons, training of prison personnel, strengthening of security, providing facilities to women prisoners and their children etc. Since ‘Prisons’ is a State subject as per Seventh Schedule to the Constitution, the implementation of majority of these recommendations pertained to the State Governments/ UT Administrations. Accordingly, the recommendations pertaining to the State Governments/ UT Administrations were sent to them for appropriate action.

(f)to(g) No funds have been granted by the Government for modernisation of jails after 31.3.2009. However, the Thirteenth Finance Commission has allocated Rs. 609 crore for upgradation of prisons from 2011-15 for eight States viz. Andhra Pradesh (Rs. 90 crore), Arunachal Pradesh (Rs. 10 crore), Chhattisgarh (Rs. 150 crore), Kerala (Rs. 154 crore), Maharashtra (Rs. 60 crore), Mizoram (Rs. 30 crore), Odisha (Rs. 100 crore) and Tripura (Rs. 15 crore).