Telangana’s prisons recorded an occupancy rate of 84.6% as on December 31, 2024, significantly lower than the national average of 112.7%, and far below overcrowded prison systems such as Delhi at 194.6%, Maharashtra at 143.9% and Karnataka at 100.9%, according to the latest Prison Statistics India 2024 report released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

The report showed that Telangana recorded an occupancy rate of 84.6%, compared with Andhra Pradesh’s 90.8% and Tamil Nadu’s 83.2%. Delhi reported the highest prison occupancy in the country, followed by Meghalaya at 163.5%, Madhya Pradesh at 147.1% and Maharashtra at 143.9%.

As per the NCRB data, Telangana has a total prison capacity of 8,013 inmates, against which 6,782 prisoners were lodged in jails across the State at the end of 2024, keeping the prison population within sanctioned capacity.

Nationally, India’s 1,333 prisons have a combined capacity of 4,53,769 inmates but housed 5,11,542 prisoners, reflecting an average occupancy of 112.7%. This marked an improvement from 2023, when the national occupancy rate stood at 120.8%.

Telangana has 26 prisons, including two women’s jails, 19 sub-jails, four special jails and one open jail. The NCRB noted that only 15 States and Union Territories in the country have separate women’s prisons, with Telangana among them.

The report said prison overcrowding remains a major concern across India, particularly in Delhi and several large States. It noted that occupancy figures represent prison population as on December 31, 2024, and may vary during the year.

The NCRB also recorded an actual prison staff strength of 63,004, against a sanctioned 99,758 posts nationwide, highlighting staffing shortages across prison administrations.

The report further stated that undertrial prisoners account for 72.6% of the total inmate population in India, underlining the continuing pressure on the prison system, despite a decline in overall occupancy compared to the previous year.