Prison Statistics India – 2020

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), an agency under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, released this report in December 2021. The report contains data on the administration of prisons and jails in the country for the year 2020. The data was collected between January and July 2021 by prison departments across states and union territories.  As per the report, the total number of jails in the country decreased from 1,351 in 2019 to 1,306 in 2020. While these prisons had the capacity for 414,033 prisoners, about 488,500 people were lodged in the prisons by the end of 2020.  The 354-page document is divided into 12 chapters: Prisons – Types and Occupancy (Chapter 1); Prisoners – Types and Demography (Chapter 2); Indian Prisoners (Chapter 3); Foreign Prisoners (Chapter 4); Prisoners –  Offence wise (Chapter 5); Prisoners – Sentences and Incarceration (Chapter 6); Prisoners – Releases, Transfers and Movements (Chapter 7); Deaths and Illness in Prisons (Chapter 8); Jail breaks, Escapes & Firing in Prisons (Chapter 9); Rehabilitation and Welfare of Prisoners (Chapter 10); Prisons Staff – Strength and Training (Chapter 11); Prison – Budget and Infrastructure (Chapter 12).