Prisons in state overcrowded by 3%, govt tells HC

The state government has told the Karnataka High Court that the jails in Karnataka were overcrowded by only 3%.

In an affidavit filed before the court, G Veerabhdraswamy, Additional Director General of Prisons (ADG) has said, as on June 18, 2018, the jails in the state had 14,206 inmates against the capacity of 13,800 - an excess of 406 or 3% of total capacity.

There are 105 prisons in Karnataka - nine central prisons, (including one women’s central prison) 20 district prisons, 30 taluk jails and 44 revenue jails and one open air jail. The affidavit was filed in response to a suo motu PIL registered by the court in response to a direction by the Supreme Court.

The affidavit also speaks about shifting of about 200 convicted prisoners from Central Prison, Bengaluru to the newly built central prison at Shivamogga.

Noting that some jails across the country were overcrowded beyond 100% and little interest shown by state governments to recruit prison staff, the Supreme Court had directed high courts to take up the matter on priority basis.