Overcrowding, staff shortage plague prisons in Karnataka

BENGALURU: Karnatakas prisons continue to face overcrowding. Of the total inmate population, over 76% are undertrials, reflecting the prolonged pendency of criminal cases and slow judicial processes. More than 1,000 posts remain vacant in the prison department, leading to poor living conditions, security issues, and delayed rehabilitation. According to the Prison Statistics India (PSI) 2023 report released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the states prisons have a capacity of 14,237 inmates. However, by the end of 2023, the prison population had reached 15,236, recording an occupancy rate of 107.6%. Karnataka has 54 prisons, including eight central jails, 21 district jails, 22 sub-jails, a women central prison, an open jail and a special jail. Karnataka had 3,481 convicts, including 132 females and 3,349 males and 11,723 undertrials, including 379 females and 11,344 males. Around 32 detenues and other inmates were held under preventive detention or other special laws. Among the undertrials, 56.8% are aged between 1830 years, 37.4% between 3050 years, and 5.7% are above 50. The report highlights that among the 3,481 convicts, 216 are graduates, 28 are postgraduates, and 78 diploma holders. Among the 11,723 undertrials, 1,363 are graduates, 84 are postgraduates, and 323 hold diplomas. The state prisons also housed 239 foreign nationals including 25 convicts and 215 undertrials. Three convicted women are staying with three children in prison, while 18 undertrial women are with 21 children. A total of 574 inmates, including 186 convicts, are suffering from mental health illnesses. As per the report, the sanctioned strength of prison staff is 4,179, but the actual strength is 3,089, leaving 1,090 posts vacant across the state. Overcrowding and Staff Shortages Affect Rehabilitation Speaking to TNIE, a senior prison officer in the city said that overcrowded prisons lead to a host of serious challenges from poor hygiene and increased violence to high stress levels among inmates. It also affects their access to basic amenities such as food, sanitation, and medical care, while staff shortages make supervision difficult. Rehabilitation and reform programmes are often neglected or delayed. He added that timely trials, alternative sentencing, and better infrastructure are essential to reduce the burden on the department. Another officer said, When staff strength is low and the prison is overcrowded, our focus shifts to maintaining order rather than reforming inmates. Rehabilitation takes a back seat, which defeats the purpose of imprisonment. With fewer officers, there are not enough trained personnel to conduct counselling, education, or vocational training sessions regularly. Psychologists and counsellors are also overburdened, leaving many inmates without emotional or mental health assistance.