PRAYAGRAJ: The first bell tolls just before dawn, signalling the start of another day at the newly built
district jail
in
Prayagraj
. Barracks are unlocked, facilities inspected, and sentries assume their watchtower posts. Business as usual for the staff - a jailer, three deputies and 26 warders. Yet, despite six months of meticulous preparation, the state-of-the-art facility remains devoid of
inmates
, awaiting a crucial notification from govt.
The reason for the delay stems from the need for UP govt to issue a formal directive to transfer
undertrials
from the congested Naini Central Jail, which currently houses 4,000 inmates - double its intended capacity of 2,060.
"Upon notification, 2,688 undertrials will be relocated to Prayagraj district jail. Thirty prison staff, including supervisors and wardens, have already assumed duties, with more expected to join once the transfer is complete," said Rang Bahadur, senior superintendent of Naini jail.
Spread across 65 acre, the modern prison boasts cutting-edge equipment, an extensive CCTV network, a video-conferencing centre, a fully automated kitchen, and an advanced hospital with 140 beds. Govt spent Rs 174 crore to build the jail, featuring two circles, 18 barracks, and specialised cells for quarantine, women, and juveniles, as well as high-security units capable of accommodating a dozen inmates each.
The empty
jail
underscores the irony of overcrowding being a significant issue in UP's prison system, drawing attention from higher judicial authorities. Supreme Court had criticised Allahabad HC for delays in resolving bail petitions, worsening the congestion crisis.
According to prison department data, UP's jails housed a total of 112,480 prisoners as of March 31, 2022, with undertrials outnumbering convicts by more than threefold. District jails, with a capacity of 49,107 inmates, currently accommodate 95,597 prisoners, surpassing capacity by a staggering 194%. Sub-jails and central jails face similar challenges, with occupancy rates reaching 216% and 111%, respectively.
The overwhelming majority of prisoners consist of undertrials.
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