KOCHI : Kerala’s correctional system is facing a dire crisis, with around 9,700 inmates squeezed into facilities intended for just over 7,780 persons. Among the four central jails, Thiruvananthapuram, Kannur and Thrissur are overcrowded, and lack effective measures to address the issue. Prisons in the state are 124.4% overcrowded, according to statistics with the state prisons department.
Viyyur central prison, in Thrissur, designed for 553 inmates, currently houses 1,068. Similarly, Kannur central prison, meant for 948 inmates, holds 1,038, while Poojappura in Thiruvananthapuram accommodates 1,327 inmates, despite being designed for just 727. District jails and special sub-jails also no better, with most of them overcrowded and some operating at nearly twice their capacity, show data obtained through an RTI query.
Kollam district jail, which only has the capacity to house 92, currently has 302 inmates. Of this, 258 are remand prisoners, with undertrials making up for 39 and convicts five.
According to the data, the jail’s occupancy rate is 200%. Ernakulam district jail also accommodates more than double its capacity. Currently, there are 203 inmates against the allowed capacity of 98. Of this, 18 inmates are women, and one a transgender person. Idukki and Viyyur district jails, however, are below capacity. Idukki jail, which has an authorised capacity of 269, has just 14 inmates, while the Viyyur facility, which can take 284 individuals currently lodges 264.
Mavelikkara, Manjeri, Vythiri, Kottarakkara and Koothuparamba special sub jails are also running at twice their capacity of inmates.
Prison department officials say steps are being taken to reduce overcrowding by constructing new buildings.
“We have submitted proposals for new jails. Construction is ongoing for new prisons in Wayanad’s Krishnagiri, Vadakara and Perinthalmanna. Land has been identified for jails in southern districts as well,” said DIG, prisons, M K Vinod Kumar. He added that renovation work is under way at Pathanamthitta district jail, which is currently closed.
Interestingly, the women’s prisons of Poojappura and Attakulangara in Thiruvananthapuram, Viyyur, and Kannur are currently below their capacity in terms of inmates. Besides, the open prisons in Cheemeni and Nettukaltheri, as well as the central prison in Thavanur and the high security prison in Viyyur are not experiencing issues of overcrowding.
According to sources with the department, overcrowding highlights a major challenge confronting the state’s correctional system, with significant ramifications for the welfare and rehabilitation of inmates. Crowded prisons frequently result in heightened tensions among prisoners, elevated risk of violence, and challenges in delivering essential services and welfare programmes intended for prisoner rehabilitation.
Meanwhile, former DGP, prisons, Alexander Jacob indicated that the number of those locked up in the state’s jails is not rising.
“When I retired from service in 2013, the number of prisoners in jails was around 7,000 and if this had grown significantly, we would now had around 13,000 inmates. The reason for the increase in numbers is because of the inclusion of detenues, those lodged in jails as part of investigations. Convicted prisoners are below capacity,” he added.
*Borstal School, Thrikkakara, which has an authorised capacity of 66 inmates currently houses 74 individuals. Of this, 72 are remand prisoners and two are convicts
57 Number of jails under Kerala prisons department