Nanded: The Nanded district prison is struggling with severe overcrowding, with the number of inmates nearly three times higher than its official capacity, creating major challenges for prison authorities.
According to prison officials, the jail has a sanctioned capacity of 215 prisoners but currently houses around 595 inmates. Authorities said the rise in crime cases in the district has led to a sharp increase in the number of prisoners lodged in the facility.
The overcrowding has created serious space problems inside the prison barracks. Officials said many inmates do not get enough space to sleep properly and are forced to sleep in shifts. Basic facilities such as cleaning and water management have also come under pressure due to the large number of prisoners.
Officials said the situation is affecting the health and living conditions of inmates. The prison’s health department lacks adequate medical facilities, forcing authorities to shift sick prisoners to government hospitals for treatment. This has added extra pressure on the police administration, which has to manage security and transportation arrangements for inmates taken outside the prison.
Authorities also pointed to delays in court proceedings, technical issues related to bail, and the increasing number of prisoners involved in serious criminal cases as major reasons behind the overcrowding.
Prison officials said construction of new barracks is currently underway, but staffing remains inadequate compared to the growing inmate population.
Meanwhile, a proposal for a new prison with a capacity of 900 inmates is pending with the state government. Officials said the project will move forward after receiving administrative approval. The administration is currently searching for around 100 to 150 acres of land for the new prison facility, though the process is progressing slowly.
Experts said the proposed prison is expected to focus on better security systems, improved healthcare facilities, and rehabilitation programmes for prisoners. They added that the pressure on the existing prison is likely to reduce significantly once the new facility becomes operational.
