Maharashtra Government Admits Prison Overcrowding

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Wednesday admitted that state prisons are overcrowded. In a written reply given in the legislative council, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that 39,527 prisoners were languishing in different central and district prisons as of May 2025, which is 12,343 more than the maximum capacity of Maharashtra’s prisons. He informed the House that efforts are on to increase the jail capacity to accommodate 17,000 more inmates.

Congress legislators Satej Patil, Bhai Jagtap, Abhijit Wanjari and Dr. Pradnya Satav had asked a question about overcrowding in the prisons creating an inhuman environment in jails. In the reply, Mr. Fadnavis, who also heads the home department, said that all district and central prisons of the state have a total capacity of 27,184 inmates. There were 39,527 inmates in these prisons in May 2025.

According to the home minister, 39,527 inmates have been kept in 60 prisons of the state. Of these, 6,003 inmates are illiterate and 5,067 undertrials.

The home minister also informed that despite the fact that Mumbai’s central prison has a capacity of 999 inmates, there were 3,268 inmates. Although there are significant numbers of inmates in the prison, the prison administration has taken measures to provide basic amenities to the inmates. “In order to improve the lives of inmates, the administration has been providing e-interview, smart card telephone, e-kiosk, video-conferencing, television, water cooler with purifier and washing machine among other services,” he said.

The prisoners between 18 years to 30 years are being imparted education with the help of NGO, the CM informed.

Informing about the plan of constructing new prisons in the state to resolve the problem of overcrowding in the jails, Mr. Fadnavis said, “Lands are being provided for proposed new prisons. New barracks in existing prisons are being constructed to increase the capacity. Once the works of new prisons and construction of new barracks are completed, the capacity will be increased to accommodate 17,110 more inmates.”

The government is running a campaign “support poor prisoners” to help indigent prisoners who are languishing in jail for not having bail amount. With the help of NGOs, legal assistance is being provided to economically weaker inmates.

There are 60 prisons including 28 district jails,19 open jails, four special jails, one Mumbai district women’s jail and nine central jails.