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<link rel="canonical" href="https://im4change.in/<pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67ee7e549bc9a-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67ee7e549bc9a-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Notice</b> (8)</a>: Undefined variable: urlPrefix [<b>APP/Template/Layout/printlayout.ctp</b>, line <b>8</b>]<div id="cakeErr67ee7e549bc9a-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67ee7e549bc9a-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67ee7e549bc9a-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67ee7e549bc9a-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67ee7e549bc9a-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr67ee7e549bc9a-code" class="cake-code-dump" style="display: none;"><code><span style="color: #000000"><span style="color: #0000BB"></span><span style="color: #007700"><</span><span style="color: #0000BB">head</span><span style="color: #007700">>
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<span class="code-highlight"><code><span style="color: #000000"> <link rel="canonical" href="<span style="color: #0000BB"><?php </span><span style="color: #007700">echo </span><span style="color: #0000BB">Configure</span><span style="color: #007700">::</span><span style="color: #0000BB">read</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #DD0000">'SITE_URL'</span><span style="color: #007700">); </span><span style="color: #0000BB">?><?php </span><span style="color: #007700">echo </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$urlPrefix</span><span style="color: #007700">;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">?><?php </span><span style="color: #007700">echo </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$article_current</span><span style="color: #007700">-></span><span style="color: #0000BB">category</span><span style="color: #007700">-></span><span style="color: #0000BB">slug</span><span style="color: #007700">; </span><span style="color: #0000BB">?></span>/<span style="color: #0000BB"><?php </span><span style="color: #007700">echo </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$article_current</span><span style="color: #007700">-></span><span style="color: #0000BB">seo_url</span><span style="color: #007700">; </span><span style="color: #0000BB">?></span>.html"/>
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<p style="text-align:justify"><em>Prison occupancy in India has been on the rise over the past five years with overcrowded jails struggling to cater to the needs of prisoners. Experts point to the mass incarceration of pre-trial prisoners.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Following an increase in prison overcrowding in India, critics are calling for new reforms to the judicial process, to decrease the length of trials and reduce the number of inmates.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Three out of every four people held in India&#39;s prisons are undertrial inmates, which means they are currently on trial or awaiting trial. That number is according to the latest official data by the country&#39;s National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in its Prison Statistics India report for 2020. Meanwhile, an average district jail runs at an occupancy rate of 136%.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">In total, the country has over 488,500 prisoners held across 410 district jails.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Human rights watchdog Amnesty International noted that India&#39;s number of undertrials is &quot;far higher than in other democracies around the world,&quot; and as of 2017, the country had the third highest number of undertrial inmates in Asia.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify"><strong>PRISON OVERCROWDING ON THE RISE</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Although the number of convicts in prisons fell by 22% in 2020, compared to the previous year, the number of undertrial inmates increased.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">However, another study by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) in December of last year showed prison occupancy increased by 23% over the last two years, with over 900,000 more arrests made during the pandemic alone. Prison occupancy on average increased from 115% to 133%.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">&quot;The number of unsentenced prisoners is increasing every day. The time they spend in prison awaiting trial has also increased over the past five years. The increasing prison population necessitates immediate measures towards decongestion,&quot; Madhurima Dhanuka, the head of CHRI&#39;s prison reforms program, told DW.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Among the prisoners were over 20,000 women, 1,427 of whom were with children.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">In 2020, when a national lockdown was announced because of COVID-19, the Supreme Court of India issued directives to set up committees in each state to decongest prisons. However, within a year, many had only been released temporarily and were called back to prison.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Experts argue that courts must step in to lay down criteria to further liberalize bail, particularly in cases where trials are prolonged, and where the accused have been in prison for years.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Please <a href="https://www.newsclick.in/Why-Are-India-Jails-Overcrowded">click here</a> to read more.&nbsp;</p>
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<p style="text-align:justify"><em>Prison occupancy in India has been on the rise over the past five years with overcrowded jails struggling to cater to the needs of prisoners. Experts point to the mass incarceration of pre-trial prisoners.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Following an increase in prison overcrowding in India, critics are calling for new reforms to the judicial process, to decrease the length of trials and reduce the number of inmates.</p>
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<p style="text-align:justify">Human rights watchdog Amnesty International noted that India&#39;s number of undertrials is &quot;far higher than in other democracies around the world,&quot; and as of 2017, the country had the third highest number of undertrial inmates in Asia.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify"><strong>PRISON OVERCROWDING ON THE RISE</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Although the number of convicts in prisons fell by 22% in 2020, compared to the previous year, the number of undertrial inmates increased.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">However, another study by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) in December of last year showed prison occupancy increased by 23% over the last two years, with over 900,000 more arrests made during the pandemic alone. Prison occupancy on average increased from 115% to 133%.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">&quot;The number of unsentenced prisoners is increasing every day. The time they spend in prison awaiting trial has also increased over the past five years. The increasing prison population necessitates immediate measures towards decongestion,&quot; Madhurima Dhanuka, the head of CHRI&#39;s prison reforms program, told DW.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Among the prisoners were over 20,000 women, 1,427 of whom were with children.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">In 2020, when a national lockdown was announced because of COVID-19, the Supreme Court of India issued directives to set up committees in each state to decongest prisons. However, within a year, many had only been released temporarily and were called back to prison.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Experts argue that courts must step in to lay down criteria to further liberalize bail, particularly in cases where trials are prolonged, and where the accused have been in prison for years.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Please <a href="https://www.newsclick.in/Why-Are-India-Jails-Overcrowded">click here</a> to read more.&nbsp;</p>
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<strong>Why Are India's Jails so Overcrowded? -Murali Krishnan </strong></h1>
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<p style="text-align:justify">-Newsclick.in</p><p style="text-align:justify"><em>Prison occupancy in India has been on the rise over the past five years with overcrowded jails struggling to cater to the needs of prisoners. Experts point to the mass incarceration of pre-trial prisoners.</em></p><p style="text-align:justify">Following an increase in prison overcrowding in India, critics are calling for new reforms to the judicial process, to decrease the length of trials and reduce the number of inmates.</p><p style="text-align:justify">Three out of every four people held in India's prisons are undertrial inmates, which means they are currently on trial or awaiting trial. That number is according to the latest official data by the country's National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in its Prison Statistics India report for 2020. Meanwhile, an average district jail runs at an occupancy rate of 136%.</p><p style="text-align:justify">In total, the country has over 488,500 prisoners held across 410 district jails.</p><p style="text-align:justify">Human rights watchdog Amnesty International noted that India's number of undertrials is "far higher than in other democracies around the world," and as of 2017, the country had the third highest number of undertrial inmates in Asia.</p><p style="text-align:justify"><strong>PRISON OVERCROWDING ON THE RISE</strong></p><p style="text-align:justify">Although the number of convicts in prisons fell by 22% in 2020, compared to the previous year, the number of undertrial inmates increased.</p><p style="text-align:justify">However, another study by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) in December of last year showed prison occupancy increased by 23% over the last two years, with over 900,000 more arrests made during the pandemic alone. Prison occupancy on average increased from 115% to 133%.</p><p style="text-align:justify">"The number of unsentenced prisoners is increasing every day. The time they spend in prison awaiting trial has also increased over the past five years. The increasing prison population necessitates immediate measures towards decongestion," Madhurima Dhanuka, the head of CHRI's prison reforms program, told DW.</p><p style="text-align:justify">Among the prisoners were over 20,000 women, 1,427 of whom were with children.</p><p style="text-align:justify">In 2020, when a national lockdown was announced because of COVID-19, the Supreme Court of India issued directives to set up committees in each state to decongest prisons. However, within a year, many had only been released temporarily and were called back to prison.</p><p style="text-align:justify">Experts argue that courts must step in to lay down criteria to further liberalize bail, particularly in cases where trials are prolonged, and where the accused have been in prison for years.</p><p style="text-align:justify">Please <a href="https://www.newsclick.in/Why-Are-India-Jails-Overcrowded" title="https://www.newsclick.in/Why-Are-India-Jails-Overcrowded">click here</a> to read more. </p> </font>
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<p style="text-align:justify"><em>Prison occupancy in India has been on the rise over the past five years with overcrowded jails struggling to cater to the needs of prisoners. Experts point to the mass incarceration of pre-trial prisoners.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Following an increase in prison overcrowding in India, critics are calling for new reforms to the judicial process, to decrease the length of trials and reduce the number of inmates.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Three out of every four people held in India&#39;s prisons are undertrial inmates, which means they are currently on trial or awaiting trial. That number is according to the latest official data by the country&#39;s National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in its Prison Statistics India report for 2020. Meanwhile, an average district jail runs at an occupancy rate of 136%.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">In total, the country has over 488,500 prisoners held across 410 district jails.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Human rights watchdog Amnesty International noted that India&#39;s number of undertrials is &quot;far higher than in other democracies around the world,&quot; and as of 2017, the country had the third highest number of undertrial inmates in Asia.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify"><strong>PRISON OVERCROWDING ON THE RISE</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Although the number of convicts in prisons fell by 22% in 2020, compared to the previous year, the number of undertrial inmates increased.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">However, another study by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) in December of last year showed prison occupancy increased by 23% over the last two years, with over 900,000 more arrests made during the pandemic alone. Prison occupancy on average increased from 115% to 133%.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">&quot;The number of unsentenced prisoners is increasing every day. The time they spend in prison awaiting trial has also increased over the past five years. The increasing prison population necessitates immediate measures towards decongestion,&quot; Madhurima Dhanuka, the head of CHRI&#39;s prison reforms program, told DW.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Among the prisoners were over 20,000 women, 1,427 of whom were with children.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">In 2020, when a national lockdown was announced because of COVID-19, the Supreme Court of India issued directives to set up committees in each state to decongest prisons. However, within a year, many had only been released temporarily and were called back to prison.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Experts argue that courts must step in to lay down criteria to further liberalize bail, particularly in cases where trials are prolonged, and where the accused have been in prison for years.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Please <a href="https://www.newsclick.in/Why-Are-India-Jails-Overcrowded">click here</a> to read more.&nbsp;</p>
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<p style="text-align:justify">Following an increase in prison overcrowding in India, critics are calling for new reforms to the judicial process, to decrease the length of trials and reduce the number of inmates.</p>
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<p style="text-align:justify">Human rights watchdog Amnesty International noted that India&#39;s number of undertrials is &quot;far higher than in other democracies around the world,&quot; and as of 2017, the country had the third highest number of undertrial inmates in Asia.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify"><strong>PRISON OVERCROWDING ON THE RISE</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Although the number of convicts in prisons fell by 22% in 2020, compared to the previous year, the number of undertrial inmates increased.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">However, another study by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) in December of last year showed prison occupancy increased by 23% over the last two years, with over 900,000 more arrests made during the pandemic alone. Prison occupancy on average increased from 115% to 133%.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">&quot;The number of unsentenced prisoners is increasing every day. The time they spend in prison awaiting trial has also increased over the past five years. The increasing prison population necessitates immediate measures towards decongestion,&quot; Madhurima Dhanuka, the head of CHRI&#39;s prison reforms program, told DW.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Among the prisoners were over 20,000 women, 1,427 of whom were with children.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">In 2020, when a national lockdown was announced because of COVID-19, the Supreme Court of India issued directives to set up committees in each state to decongest prisons. However, within a year, many had only been released temporarily and were called back to prison.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Experts argue that courts must step in to lay down criteria to further liberalize bail, particularly in cases where trials are prolonged, and where the accused have been in prison for years.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Please <a href="https://www.newsclick.in/Why-Are-India-Jails-Overcrowded">click here</a> to read more.&nbsp;</p>
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<strong>Why Are India's Jails so Overcrowded? -Murali Krishnan </strong></h1>
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<p style="text-align:justify">-Newsclick.in</p><p style="text-align:justify"><em>Prison occupancy in India has been on the rise over the past five years with overcrowded jails struggling to cater to the needs of prisoners. Experts point to the mass incarceration of pre-trial prisoners.</em></p><p style="text-align:justify">Following an increase in prison overcrowding in India, critics are calling for new reforms to the judicial process, to decrease the length of trials and reduce the number of inmates.</p><p style="text-align:justify">Three out of every four people held in India's prisons are undertrial inmates, which means they are currently on trial or awaiting trial. That number is according to the latest official data by the country's National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in its Prison Statistics India report for 2020. Meanwhile, an average district jail runs at an occupancy rate of 136%.</p><p style="text-align:justify">In total, the country has over 488,500 prisoners held across 410 district jails.</p><p style="text-align:justify">Human rights watchdog Amnesty International noted that India's number of undertrials is "far higher than in other democracies around the world," and as of 2017, the country had the third highest number of undertrial inmates in Asia.</p><p style="text-align:justify"><strong>PRISON OVERCROWDING ON THE RISE</strong></p><p style="text-align:justify">Although the number of convicts in prisons fell by 22% in 2020, compared to the previous year, the number of undertrial inmates increased.</p><p style="text-align:justify">However, another study by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) in December of last year showed prison occupancy increased by 23% over the last two years, with over 900,000 more arrests made during the pandemic alone. Prison occupancy on average increased from 115% to 133%.</p><p style="text-align:justify">"The number of unsentenced prisoners is increasing every day. The time they spend in prison awaiting trial has also increased over the past five years. The increasing prison population necessitates immediate measures towards decongestion," Madhurima Dhanuka, the head of CHRI's prison reforms program, told DW.</p><p style="text-align:justify">Among the prisoners were over 20,000 women, 1,427 of whom were with children.</p><p style="text-align:justify">In 2020, when a national lockdown was announced because of COVID-19, the Supreme Court of India issued directives to set up committees in each state to decongest prisons. However, within a year, many had only been released temporarily and were called back to prison.</p><p style="text-align:justify">Experts argue that courts must step in to lay down criteria to further liberalize bail, particularly in cases where trials are prolonged, and where the accused have been in prison for years.</p><p style="text-align:justify">Please <a href="https://www.newsclick.in/Why-Are-India-Jails-Overcrowded" title="https://www.newsclick.in/Why-Are-India-Jails-Overcrowded">click here</a> to read more. </p> </font>
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<link rel="canonical" href="https://im4change.in/<pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67ee7e549bc9a-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67ee7e549bc9a-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Notice</b> (8)</a>: Undefined variable: urlPrefix [<b>APP/Template/Layout/printlayout.ctp</b>, line <b>8</b>]<div id="cakeErr67ee7e549bc9a-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67ee7e549bc9a-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67ee7e549bc9a-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67ee7e549bc9a-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67ee7e549bc9a-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr67ee7e549bc9a-code" class="cake-code-dump" style="display: none;"><code><span style="color: #000000"><span style="color: #0000BB"></span><span style="color: #007700"><</span><span style="color: #0000BB">head</span><span style="color: #007700">>
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<p style="text-align:justify"><em>Prison occupancy in India has been on the rise over the past five years with overcrowded jails struggling to cater to the needs of prisoners. Experts point to the mass incarceration of pre-trial prisoners.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Following an increase in prison overcrowding in India, critics are calling for new reforms to the judicial process, to decrease the length of trials and reduce the number of inmates.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Three out of every four people held in India&#39;s prisons are undertrial inmates, which means they are currently on trial or awaiting trial. That number is according to the latest official data by the country&#39;s National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in its Prison Statistics India report for 2020. Meanwhile, an average district jail runs at an occupancy rate of 136%.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">In total, the country has over 488,500 prisoners held across 410 district jails.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Human rights watchdog Amnesty International noted that India&#39;s number of undertrials is &quot;far higher than in other democracies around the world,&quot; and as of 2017, the country had the third highest number of undertrial inmates in Asia.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify"><strong>PRISON OVERCROWDING ON THE RISE</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Although the number of convicts in prisons fell by 22% in 2020, compared to the previous year, the number of undertrial inmates increased.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">However, another study by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) in December of last year showed prison occupancy increased by 23% over the last two years, with over 900,000 more arrests made during the pandemic alone. Prison occupancy on average increased from 115% to 133%.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">&quot;The number of unsentenced prisoners is increasing every day. The time they spend in prison awaiting trial has also increased over the past five years. The increasing prison population necessitates immediate measures towards decongestion,&quot; Madhurima Dhanuka, the head of CHRI&#39;s prison reforms program, told DW.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Among the prisoners were over 20,000 women, 1,427 of whom were with children.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">In 2020, when a national lockdown was announced because of COVID-19, the Supreme Court of India issued directives to set up committees in each state to decongest prisons. However, within a year, many had only been released temporarily and were called back to prison.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Experts argue that courts must step in to lay down criteria to further liberalize bail, particularly in cases where trials are prolonged, and where the accused have been in prison for years.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Please <a href="https://www.newsclick.in/Why-Are-India-Jails-Overcrowded">click here</a> to read more.&nbsp;</p>
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<p style="text-align:justify">Following an increase in prison overcrowding in India, critics are calling for new reforms to the judicial process, to decrease the length of trials and reduce the number of inmates.</p>
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<p style="text-align:justify">Human rights watchdog Amnesty International noted that India&#39;s number of undertrials is &quot;far higher than in other democracies around the world,&quot; and as of 2017, the country had the third highest number of undertrial inmates in Asia.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify"><strong>PRISON OVERCROWDING ON THE RISE</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Although the number of convicts in prisons fell by 22% in 2020, compared to the previous year, the number of undertrial inmates increased.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">However, another study by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) in December of last year showed prison occupancy increased by 23% over the last two years, with over 900,000 more arrests made during the pandemic alone. Prison occupancy on average increased from 115% to 133%.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">&quot;The number of unsentenced prisoners is increasing every day. The time they spend in prison awaiting trial has also increased over the past five years. The increasing prison population necessitates immediate measures towards decongestion,&quot; Madhurima Dhanuka, the head of CHRI&#39;s prison reforms program, told DW.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Among the prisoners were over 20,000 women, 1,427 of whom were with children.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">In 2020, when a national lockdown was announced because of COVID-19, the Supreme Court of India issued directives to set up committees in each state to decongest prisons. However, within a year, many had only been released temporarily and were called back to prison.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Experts argue that courts must step in to lay down criteria to further liberalize bail, particularly in cases where trials are prolonged, and where the accused have been in prison for years.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Please <a href="https://www.newsclick.in/Why-Are-India-Jails-Overcrowded">click here</a> to read more.&nbsp;</p>
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<h1 class="news_headlines" style="font-style:normal">
<strong>Why Are India's Jails so Overcrowded? -Murali Krishnan </strong></h1>
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<p style="text-align:justify">-Newsclick.in</p><p style="text-align:justify"><em>Prison occupancy in India has been on the rise over the past five years with overcrowded jails struggling to cater to the needs of prisoners. Experts point to the mass incarceration of pre-trial prisoners.</em></p><p style="text-align:justify">Following an increase in prison overcrowding in India, critics are calling for new reforms to the judicial process, to decrease the length of trials and reduce the number of inmates.</p><p style="text-align:justify">Three out of every four people held in India's prisons are undertrial inmates, which means they are currently on trial or awaiting trial. That number is according to the latest official data by the country's National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in its Prison Statistics India report for 2020. Meanwhile, an average district jail runs at an occupancy rate of 136%.</p><p style="text-align:justify">In total, the country has over 488,500 prisoners held across 410 district jails.</p><p style="text-align:justify">Human rights watchdog Amnesty International noted that India's number of undertrials is "far higher than in other democracies around the world," and as of 2017, the country had the third highest number of undertrial inmates in Asia.</p><p style="text-align:justify"><strong>PRISON OVERCROWDING ON THE RISE</strong></p><p style="text-align:justify">Although the number of convicts in prisons fell by 22% in 2020, compared to the previous year, the number of undertrial inmates increased.</p><p style="text-align:justify">However, another study by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) in December of last year showed prison occupancy increased by 23% over the last two years, with over 900,000 more arrests made during the pandemic alone. Prison occupancy on average increased from 115% to 133%.</p><p style="text-align:justify">"The number of unsentenced prisoners is increasing every day. The time they spend in prison awaiting trial has also increased over the past five years. The increasing prison population necessitates immediate measures towards decongestion," Madhurima Dhanuka, the head of CHRI's prison reforms program, told DW.</p><p style="text-align:justify">Among the prisoners were over 20,000 women, 1,427 of whom were with children.</p><p style="text-align:justify">In 2020, when a national lockdown was announced because of COVID-19, the Supreme Court of India issued directives to set up committees in each state to decongest prisons. However, within a year, many had only been released temporarily and were called back to prison.</p><p style="text-align:justify">Experts argue that courts must step in to lay down criteria to further liberalize bail, particularly in cases where trials are prolonged, and where the accused have been in prison for years.</p><p style="text-align:justify">Please <a href="https://www.newsclick.in/Why-Are-India-Jails-Overcrowded" title="https://www.newsclick.in/Why-Are-India-Jails-Overcrowded">click here</a> to read more. </p> </font>
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<p style="text-align:justify"><em>Prison occupancy in India has been on the rise over the past five years with overcrowded jails struggling to cater to the needs of prisoners. Experts point to the mass incarceration of pre-trial prisoners.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Following an increase in prison overcrowding in India, critics are calling for new reforms to the judicial process, to decrease the length of trials and reduce the number of inmates.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Three out of every four people held in India's prisons are undertrial inmates, which means they are currently on trial or awaiting trial. That number is according to the latest official data by the country's National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in its Prison Statistics India report for 2020. Meanwhile, an average district jail runs at an occupancy rate of 136%.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">In total, the country has over 488,500 prisoners held across 410 district jails.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Human rights watchdog Amnesty International noted that India's number of undertrials is "far higher than in other democracies around the world," and as of 2017, the country had the third highest number of undertrial inmates in Asia.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify"><strong>PRISON OVERCROWDING ON THE RISE</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Although the number of convicts in prisons fell by 22% in 2020, compared to the previous year, the number of undertrial inmates increased.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">However, another study by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) in December of last year showed prison occupancy increased by 23% over the last two years, with over 900,000 more arrests made during the pandemic alone. Prison occupancy on average increased from 115% to 133%.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">"The number of unsentenced prisoners is increasing every day. The time they spend in prison awaiting trial has also increased over the past five years. The increasing prison population necessitates immediate measures towards decongestion," Madhurima Dhanuka, the head of CHRI's prison reforms program, told DW.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Among the prisoners were over 20,000 women, 1,427 of whom were with children.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">In 2020, when a national lockdown was announced because of COVID-19, the Supreme Court of India issued directives to set up committees in each state to decongest prisons. However, within a year, many had only been released temporarily and were called back to prison.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Experts argue that courts must step in to lay down criteria to further liberalize bail, particularly in cases where trials are prolonged, and where the accused have been in prison for years.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Please <a href="https://www.newsclick.in/Why-Are-India-Jails-Overcrowded">click here</a> to read more. </p>
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<p style="text-align:justify"><em>Prison occupancy in India has been on the rise over the past five years with overcrowded jails struggling to cater to the needs of prisoners. Experts point to the mass incarceration of pre-trial prisoners.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Following an increase in prison overcrowding in India, critics are calling for new reforms to the judicial process, to decrease the length of trials and reduce the number of inmates.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Three out of every four people held in India's prisons are undertrial inmates, which means they are currently on trial or awaiting trial. That number is according to the latest official data by the country's National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in its Prison Statistics India report for 2020. Meanwhile, an average district jail runs at an occupancy rate of 136%.</p>
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<p style="text-align:justify">Human rights watchdog Amnesty International noted that India's number of undertrials is "far higher than in other democracies around the world," and as of 2017, the country had the third highest number of undertrial inmates in Asia.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify"><strong>PRISON OVERCROWDING ON THE RISE</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Although the number of convicts in prisons fell by 22% in 2020, compared to the previous year, the number of undertrial inmates increased.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">However, another study by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) in December of last year showed prison occupancy increased by 23% over the last two years, with over 900,000 more arrests made during the pandemic alone. Prison occupancy on average increased from 115% to 133%.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">"The number of unsentenced prisoners is increasing every day. The time they spend in prison awaiting trial has also increased over the past five years. The increasing prison population necessitates immediate measures towards decongestion," Madhurima Dhanuka, the head of CHRI's prison reforms program, told DW.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Among the prisoners were over 20,000 women, 1,427 of whom were with children.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">In 2020, when a national lockdown was announced because of COVID-19, the Supreme Court of India issued directives to set up committees in each state to decongest prisons. However, within a year, many had only been released temporarily and were called back to prison.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Experts argue that courts must step in to lay down criteria to further liberalize bail, particularly in cases where trials are prolonged, and where the accused have been in prison for years.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Please <a href="https://www.newsclick.in/Why-Are-India-Jails-Overcrowded">click here</a> to read more. </p>
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latest-news-updates/why-are-india-s-jails-so-overcrowded-murali-krishnan.html"/>
LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Why Are India's Jails so Overcrowded? -Murali Krishnan | Im4change.org
Why Are India's Jails so Overcrowded? -Murali Krishnan
-Newsclick.in
Prison occupancy in India has been on the rise over the past five years with overcrowded jails struggling to cater to the needs of prisoners. Experts point to the mass incarceration of pre-trial prisoners.
Following an increase in prison overcrowding in India, critics are calling for new reforms to the judicial process, to decrease the length of trials and reduce the number of inmates.
Three out of every four people held in India's prisons are undertrial inmates, which means they are currently on trial or awaiting trial. That number is according to the latest official data by the country's National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in its Prison Statistics India report for 2020. Meanwhile, an average district jail runs at an occupancy rate of 136%.
In total, the country has over 488,500 prisoners held across 410 district jails.
Human rights watchdog Amnesty International noted that India's number of undertrials is "far higher than in other democracies around the world," and as of 2017, the country had the third highest number of undertrial inmates in Asia.
PRISON OVERCROWDING ON THE RISE
Although the number of convicts in prisons fell by 22% in 2020, compared to the previous year, the number of undertrial inmates increased.
However, another study by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) in December of last year showed prison occupancy increased by 23% over the last two years, with over 900,000 more arrests made during the pandemic alone. Prison occupancy on average increased from 115% to 133%.
"The number of unsentenced prisoners is increasing every day. The time they spend in prison awaiting trial has also increased over the past five years. The increasing prison population necessitates immediate measures towards decongestion," Madhurima Dhanuka, the head of CHRI's prison reforms program, told DW.
Among the prisoners were over 20,000 women, 1,427 of whom were with children.
In 2020, when a national lockdown was announced because of COVID-19, the Supreme Court of India issued directives to set up committees in each state to decongest prisons. However, within a year, many had only been released temporarily and were called back to prison.
Experts argue that courts must step in to lay down criteria to further liberalize bail, particularly in cases where trials are prolonged, and where the accused have been in prison for years.
