In a startling revelation, India Justice Reports came up with a study on Tuesday highlighting that nine of ten inmates in the jails of Delhi are undertrials. highlighting the overcrowding in the jails of the national capital.

The study report said that the prisons of the city have maintained the consistency of over 170 per cent occupancy rate since 2012. Moreover, in 2022, 15 per cent of prisons in Delhi recorded occupancy rates of over 250 per cent, raising serious questions about the safety and security of the prisoners lodged in them.

Advertisement

The report mentioned that the national capital has the highest number of undertrials with 91 per cent of the population being lodged in the prisons.

Except Arunachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, all other states and UTs have over 60 per cent of undertrial prisoners in the country, it stated.

On the prison infrastructure nationwide, the report elaborated that 724 prisons, which constitute 56 per cent, run above 100 per cent occupancy, 262 prisons, constituting 20 per cent, run between 150 to 250 per cent and 176 prisons are those with recorded occupancy of more than 200 per cent.

In terms of vacancies at the national level, it mentioned that the prison departments are short of 28 per cent officers, 28 per cent cadre staff, 44 per cent correctional staff, 40 per cent medical staff and 43 per cent medical officers.

As regards legal aid, the report found that in 2024, Delhi had 99 legal aid clinics for 103 villages, averaging to near one clinic in every village which is highest in the country.

The UT also recorded a 94 per cent disposal of pre-litigation and pending cases taken up by Lok Adalats, which is highest in the country.