Gandhinagar: Overcrowding remained a major challenge for Gujarat’s prisons in 2024, with jails housing 17,766 inmates against a sanctioned capacity of 14,108. The excess of 3,658 prisoners pushed occupancy levels to nearly 126%, according to data presented in Parliament. The figures also indicate a steady rise in the prison population over the past five years, while expansion of prison capacity has been limited.In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) said Gujarat’s prison capacity increased by only 346 between 2020 and 2024, rising from 13,762 to 14,108. During the same period, the inmate population grew by 2,549, increasing from 15,217 to 17,766.The data shows that overcrowding has worsened consistently over the years. Gujarat prisons housed 15,217 inmates in 2020 against a capacity of 13,762. The inmate count rose to 16,597 in 2021, 16,611 in 2022, 17,265 in 2023 and 17,766 in 2024, while prison capacity saw only marginal increases.As a result, prison occupancy climbed from about 111% in 2020 to nearly 119% in 2021, around 118% in 2022, almost 123% in 2023 and close to 126% in 2024, reflecting a sustained rise in overcrowding.At the national level, the MHA informed Parliament that 609 prisons across the country were operating beyond their sanctioned capacity as of Dec 31, 2024. The ministry noted that prison administration, including expansion of infrastructure and construction of new jails, falls within the jurisdiction of state govts as prisons are a state subject.
