NCRB’s Prison Statistics India 2023: Overcrowding, Undertrials, and Mental Health
SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions | SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
Institutions: Ministry of Home Affairs | National Crime Records Bureau
The Prison Statistics India 2023 (PSI-2023) records a total prison population of 5,54,034 inmates, a 4.1% rise from 2022. The most critical finding is overcrowding: India’s All-India Occupancy Rate reached 120.1%, meaning prisons held one-fifth more inmates than sanctioned capacity. Some systems are far worse - Delhi’s prisons operate at nearly 200% occupancy, while Telangana remains lowest at ~72.8%.
A persistent imbalance drives this: undertrial prisoners (UTs) constitute 76.2% (4,22,238 inmates), compared to 23.3% convicts. This over-reliance on pre-trial detention means nearly one-third of undertrials have already spent over a year in custody.
Overall Crime Trends: India recorded 62.4 lakh cognizable crimes, a 7.2% increase from 2022.
Of these, 37.6 lakh were under the IPC and 24.8 lakh under Special and Local Laws (SLL).
The national crime rate increased from 422.2 to 448.3 per lakh population.
In metropolitan cities, crime rose by 10.6% to 9.44 lakh cases, with theft accounting for 44.8%, followed by rash driving (9.2%) and obstruction on public ways (8.1%).
Inmate Profile & Administration
Social Profile: 69.3% of inmates belong to SC, ST, and OBC categories; 25.1% are illiterate.
Women: Women comprise 4.4% of inmates, many accompanied by children, raising infrastructure and care challenges.
Staffing: 26.5% of sanctioned prison staff posts are vacant, worsening overcrowding pressures.
Changing Pattern of Crime: Decline in traditional violent crimes such as rape and dowry deaths.
Surge in cybercrimes and urban-related offenses, reflecting social, technological, and lifestyle shifts.
Cybercrimes rose sharply by 31.2% to 86,420 cases, with nearly 69% involving online fraud.
Karnataka reported the highest number of cybercrime cases (21,889), followed by Telangana (18,236) and Uttar Pradesh (10,794).
Health and Mental Health Crisis
Mentally Ill Prisoners: The report records 5,160 inmates with mental illness; a parallel Supreme Court Centre for Research and Planning analysis puts the figure at 16,503 in 2023 (up from 9,084 in 2022), reflecting under-reporting and a rising crisis.
Deaths: A total of 2,360 deaths were recorded in 2023, including 101 suicides - suicides remain a leading cause of unnatural deaths in prisons.
Care Deficit: With roughly one mental health professional per 23,000 inmates (based on 2022 staffing), prisons lack even minimum psychiatric support.
PSI-2023 underscores how judicial delay, undertrial detention, and weak infrastructure converge into systemic stress. The severe overcrowding undermines not only safety and segregation but also human rights. Addressing this requires:
Decongestion strategies (bail reforms, fast-track courts, non-custodial sentencing).
Investment in prison infrastructure and mental health staffing.
Socio-legal support for marginalized groups (SCs, STs, OBCs, and women with children).
What is NCRB? → The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) is an agency under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India, established in 1986. It is the country’s central authority for collecting, analyzing, and publishing crime and prison statistics, maintaining national criminal databases, and modernizing policing through technology.
Follow the full report here: NCRB – Prison Statistics India 2023