India Supreme Court Directs Prison Data

The India — Supreme Court of India has directed all states and Union territories within India to furnish updated and comprehensive statistics relating to jails by May 18. This directive, issued by a bench including Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, aims to address critical issues such as prison overcrowding, conditions in women's prisons, and facilities for children living with female inmates. Senior advocate Gaurav Agrawal, assisting as amicus curiae, highlighted that the previously submitted data was from 2023, necessitating updated information for effective adjudication. The required data includes jail-wise capacity, total number of prisoners, overcrowding percentages, proposed steps to address overcrowding, details of women's jails and facilities, prison staff strength, vacancies, and measures to fill them. States and UTs must file comprehensive affidavits, sworn by their home secretaries, reflecting the status as of March 1, 2026. The India — Supreme Court of India's registry will forward these affidavits to Gaurav Agrawal, who will prepare a consolidated note for a hearing scheduled on May 26.