Bhubaneswar: Odisha currently operates 87 jails with a total inmate population of 16,318, as informed by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in the state assembly on Monday.
In response to a question by Baliguda MLA Chakramani Kanhar, CM Majhi provided details about the state’s prison capacity.
He started that the total capacity of various jails in the state is 24,196, with 16,318 prisoners currently incarcerated, which is 67.44 percent of the total prisoners capacity.
The Chief Minister emphasized that, although some jails are facing overcrowding—particularly due to an increase in undertrial prisoners—the overall prison population remains well below the state’s total capacity. He attributed the overcrowding in certain jails to the temporary rise in undertrial prisoners.
Regarding plans to alleviate overcrowding, Majhi clarified that the government has not proposed the construction of new prisons at this time.
As of January 31, 2025, the state houses 2,078 life prisoners and 12,532 undertrial inmates.
