(a) the percentage/proportion of women in prisons during the year 2019 and 2020;
(b) whether any study has been conducted to identify the proportion of pregnant women prisoners in the country and if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether any measures are taken to track and report pregnancy related data and routine screening for pregnancy/pregnant women prisoners; and
(d) if so, the details thereof and if not the reasons therefor?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
(SHRI AJAY KUMAR MISHRA)
(a) to (d): National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) compiles prison statistics reported to it by 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. Details of the total number of prison inmates and females inmates as on 31st December 2019 and 2020 are as follows:
Year Total Number of Prison inmates Number of Female inmates
2019 478600 19913
2020 488511 20046
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RS.US.Q.NO. 5488 FOR 05.04.2022
‘Prisons’/‘persons detained therein’ is a “State-List” subject as per Entry 4 of List II of Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. Administration and management of prisoners is the responsibility of respective State Governments, who are competent to take appropriate steps for medical check-up of women inmates/ screening for pregnancy, etc. However, the specific data in this regard is not reported/ maintained centrally.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been supplementing the efforts of State Governments by issuing various advisories and guidelines from time to time. A comprehensive Model Prison Manual 2016 was prepared by MHA and forwarded to all States and UTs in 2016. The Manual has a dedicated chapter on ‘Women Prisoners’, which, inter-alia, provides that every women prisoner shall be medically examined on admission to prison by a lady Medical Officer and in case a prisoner is suspected to be pregnant, the women prisoner shall be sent to the District Hospital for detailed examination and report. MHA has also issued a detailed advisory to States and UTs sharing the guidelines for providing facilities to women prisoners and their children, which, inter-alia, provide that a jail must have adequate facilities for prenatal and post-natal care for female prisoners. MHA had also forwarded a report titled ‘Women in Prisons’ received from the Ministry of Women and Child Development, to all States and UTs for implementation of the suggestions contained in the report relating to women inmates.
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