Telangana Prison Occupancy Rate Lower Than National Average

Telangana's prisons recorded an occupancy rate of 84.6% as of December 31, 2024, significantly lower than the national average of 112.7%, according to the latest Prison Statistics India 2024 report released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). The report showed that Telangana recorded an occupancy rate of 84.6%, compared with Andhra Pradesh's 90.8% and Tamil Nadu's 83.2%.

The NCRB data revealed that Delhi reported the highest prison occupancy in the country, followed by Meghalaya at 163.5%, Madhya Pradesh at 147.1%, and Maharashtra at 143.9%. Nationally, India's 1,333 prisons have a combined capacity of 4,53,769 inmates but housed 5,11,542 prisoners, reflecting an average occupancy of 112.7%.

Telangana has a total prison capacity of 8,013 inmates, against which 6,782 prisoners were lodged in jails across the state at the end of 2024, keeping the prison population within sanctioned capacity.

The NCRB noted that only 15 States and Union Territories in the country have separate women's prisons, with Telangana among them. The report said prison overcrowding remains a major concern across India, particularly in Delhi and several large States.

The NCRB also recorded an actual prison staff strength of 63,004, against a sanctioned 99,758 posts nationwide, highlighting staffing shortages across prison administrations. The court is expected to take up the matter of prison reforms in the upcoming session, with officials likely to discuss measures to address overcrowding and staffing shortages.