The Supreme Court has asked all States and Union Territories to submit updated and comprehensive data on prisons, including capacity, overcrowding levels, and facilities for women inmates and children, by May 18. The direction came in an ongoing suo motu case concerning inhuman conditions in jails.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued the directions on March 17, emphasizing the need for current and reliable data to properly assess prison conditions across the country.
The Court noted that the information previously placed on record by States and Union Territories relates to the year 2023. Highlighting the gap, the bench observed that an effective adjudication of the issues requires updated and contemporaneous data.
The issue was flagged by Senior Advocate Gaurav Agrawal, who is assisting the Court as amicus curiae in the matter. He pointed out that the existing statistics were outdated and insufficient for evaluating present conditions in prisons.
Taking note of this, the bench directed all States and UTs to place on record fresh and detailed statistics concerning every prison under their jurisdiction. The Court stressed that updated information is “indispensable for the effective consideration of the proceedings.”
The data sought by the Court is extensive. It includes jail-wise sanctioned capacity, total number of inmates, and the percentage of overcrowding in each facility. States have also been asked to outline the steps taken or proposed to address overcrowding.
Special focus has been placed on women prisoners. The Court has sought details on the number of women’s prisons and the facilities available there, particularly for children living with incarcerated mothers. This includes information on educational and medical arrangements, as well as overall welfare measures.
In addition, States and UTs must provide details regarding prison staffing, including sanctioned strength, existing vacancies, and steps taken to fill those positions. The Court has also called for all related aspects of prison administration to be covered in the affidavits.
The bench directed that the data should reflect the status as on March 1, 2026, including the total number of prisoners and occupancy levels in each jail.
All States and UTs have been asked to file comprehensive affidavits, duly sworn by their respective Home Secretaries, by May 18.
The Supreme Court registry will then forward these affidavits to the amicus curiae, who will compile and present a consolidated note analyzing the data submitted.
The matter is scheduled for further hearing on May 26.
