Delhi’s prisons, home to some of the most high-profile criminals, are facing a severe crisis of overcrowding, with inmate numbers nearly doubling their capacity. In replies to two separate questions in the Delhi Assembly, Delhi Government’s Home Department Minister Ashish Sood said that the Capital’s 16 jails, designed to house 10,000 inmates, currently accommodate around 19,000 prisoners, creating significant challenges in monitoring and management.
This crisis persists despite the release of over a thousand under-trial inmates in 2023. The most striking example of overcrowding is seen in Tihar Jail, where, as of March 2025, Jail number one held 2,436 inmates against its capacity of just 565.
Similarly, Jail number four, designed to hold 740 prisoners, was found to be housing 3,244. The problem extends to other prison complexes, including Rohini and Mandoli, which were originally established in 2004 and 2016, respectively, to ease Tihar’s burden.
However, they too have been unable to escape the issue of overcrowding. Interestingly, some sections within the prison system, particularly in Mandoli, report under-utilisation. Of Mandoli’s six jails, three remain under capacity. For instance, Jail number 15, designated for high-security prisoners, currently accommodates 108 inmates, despite being designed to house 248.
Data shared by the Home Minister indicated that the number of under-trial prisoners in Delhi’s jails is nearly eight times that of convicted inmates.
By the end of 2024, there were 17,118 under-trials compared to only 2,235 convicted individuals. Since 2020, inmate numbers have consistently risen, a trend reflected in the increasing budgetary allocations for prison management, which escalated from `490 crore in 2019-20 to `595 crore in 2023-24.
To tackle security concerns, Delhi’s prison authorities have introduced multiple measures, including call-blocking systems and surveillance enhancements. Three T-HCBS systems have been installed in Tihar and one in Mandoli, alongside 15 mobile phone jammers operating
within Tihar.
Across all three prison complexes, approximately 7,549 CCTV cameras have been installed, ensuring that every five inmates are monitored by two cameras. Entry-point security has also been reinforced with 15 deep-search metal detectors and numerous other screening devices.
Additionally, security has been bolstered by the deployment of rapid response teams and intelligence wings involving personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and Tamil Nadu Special Police.
Despite these measures, plans for the construction of new jails in Narela and Baprola remain stalled due to land
allocation issues.
