Gujarat pronounced 41 death sentences in the year 2022, according to a report from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Not only is this the highest number of death sentences by any state, none of them were converted to life imprisonment either.

A total of 3,756 posts have been approved for the Gujarat jails, however, the staff currently is made up of 2,241 personnel, leaving the staff deficit of 1,515.

The report also revealed that the prisons of the state are overfilled by 18%, as they house 16,611 prisoners against the capacity of 14,065.

Out of those, 11,129 prisoners are currently under trial. 10,770 of them are men, whereas 359 are women. 5,148 prisoners have been proven guilty, consisting of 4,936 men and 208 women.

Out of the prisoners proven guilty, 196 are graduates, 42 are degree-diploma, 87 are post-graduates, and 984 are illiterate.

2,568 prisoners out of those proven guilty fall into the age bracket of 30-50 years, whereas 1,647 prisoners are aged 18-30.  

The state also houses 203 foreign prisoners, out of which, 21 have been proven guilty, whereas 182 are under trial.

99 of them are from Pakistan, 31 are from the Middle East, and 21 are from Nigeria.

This year also saw 6 prisoners escaping the police, out of which 3 were caught again. 

Moreover, 13 prisoners this year died of old age, whereas 47 died due to an illness, amounting to 60 deaths in prisons. 370 prisoners also suffer from mental illnesses. Nine inmates took their own lives in 2022.

Going deeper, the central jail has a capacity of 7,740 prisoners, but it houses 9,961. Out of which, 4,197 men, 88 women, and four transgenders have been proven guilty. Whereas, 5,886 prisoners are currently under trial. Central jail also has 204 detainees.

Some positives

2,031 prisoners were involved in some education inside the prison. 987 were enrolled for primary education, 567 for adult education, 662 for higher education, and 14 prisoners were enrolled in computer courses.

Prisoners of Gujarat have earned ₹36.88 crore in one year by engaging in activities such as tailoring, carpentry, handicrafts, and agriculture.

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