The Delhi High Court on Thursday questioned the jail authorities over delays in implementing the Supreme Court’s directions to provide open and semi-open prison facilities in the Capital.

Open and semi-open prisons are less restrictive correctional facilities available to eligible inmates.

A Bench of Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma referred to the Supreme Court’s February 26, 2026, order, noting that it had prescribed a timeline for implementing its directions.

In its February 26, 2026, order, the Supreme Court directed States and Union Territories to address prison overcrowding, assess existing open correctional facilities, frame time-bound plans to fill vacancies and constitute monitoring committees within three months.

“Not only is the calendar not adhered to, but even substantial time, or double the time prescribed in the order has expired. There are no positive developments in the matter,” the Bench remarked.

The Bench directed the authorities to submit a flow chart detailing the progress made since the Supreme Court’s order. It said it would consider proceeding against the Director-General of Prisons if the explanation is unsatisfactory.

“If not satisfied, we will proceed against your DG (Prisons),” the court said, directing the authorities to submit the flow chart by October 27. The matter has been listed for October 28.

During the hearing, the Special Secretary (Home), who was present in court, said the Delhi government and prison authorities had held meetings on the issue.

He said the existing capacity of open prisons was 10 inmates, while semi-open prison facilities could accommodate around 76 inmates. Of the latter, Tihar Jail had a capacity of 40, with 24 inmates occupying the facilities, while Mandoli Jail had a capacity of 36, with 26 inmates.

Referring to the Supreme Court’s observation that occupancy in Delhi’s open and semi-open prison facilities had been as low as 6%, the officer said it had now increased to more than 50%.

The court, however, raised concerns over the functioning of the prison administration and how privileges were granted to certain prisoners.

“On the administrative side, under orders of the Supreme Court, we have a committee headed by a senior judge here. And all was not well during our last visit,” it said.

The court observed that some barracks housed only six prisoners enjoying such privileges, while others housed 300 or more.

“Your DG (Prison) is a mute spectator to all this. And nobody is answerable to this…,” the court remarked.

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.