‘Himachal Pradesh sub-jail occupancy twice the national average’

SHIMLA: Prisons in Himachal Pradesh were overcrowded in 2019, with the occupancy of sub-jails in the hill state being almost twice of the national average, according to the NCRB report Prisons Statistics India-2019 released last week.
The Himachal Pradesh high court in March this year had directed the state government to file a fresh status report in the matter related to inhuman conditions in the jails of state. In compliance with the court’s earlier order, the state government had filed a status report, in which it was pointed out that there was overcrowding and shortage of staff in Hamirpur district jail, Nurpur sub-jail and Kullu district jail; just shortage of staff in district and open-air jail, Dharamshala, and district and open-air jail, Bilaspur; and there was no posting of medical officer in district jail of Mandi.
Now, the report — comprising data till December 31, 2019 — has revealed that jails of Himachal Pradesh had recorded an occupancy rate of 110.6% in 2019, but it could be considered slightly better compared to many states as the national average was 118.5%. The hill state has 14 prisons having the capacity to house 2,146 inmates, but it has 2,373 inmates.
Of all the prisoners 948 are convicts, including 915 men and 33 women, and 1,425 are undertrials, including 1,371 men and 54 women. The percentage share of convicts in the state is 39.9%, while percentage share of undertrials is 60.1%.
The occupancy rate of district jails at the national level is 129.71%, while it is 123.9% in the state. The national occupancy rate of sub jails is 84.38%, while that of Himachal Pradesh is 155.17%.
In Himachal Pradesh, district jails have 1,208 inmates — 277 convicts and 931 undertrials. The state has 526 jail officials which, makes it 4 inmates per official, but there are only three correctional staffers, which makes the average 791 inmates per correctional staff. There are 14 medical staff, making it 169 inmates per medical staff.
Sub-jails in the state can house 29 inmates, 26 men and 3 women, against which 45 inmates, including 38 men and seven women, have been lodged.