Madhya Pradesh Has the Highest Number of Undertrial and Convicted Tribal Prisoners
The growing number of prisoners in Madhya Pradesh jails, particularly the high proportion of undertrial inmates, has once again become a subject of public debate. Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar, citing the latest prison report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), stated that nearly 50 percent of the total prison population in the state consists of undertrial prisoners, with the largest share belonging to tribal communities.
Madhya Pradesh ranks third in the country in terms of total prisoner population, following Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. According to Singhar, as shared on social media platform X on January 17, the state’s 132 jails currently house 45,543 inmates. While the total jail capacity is around 30,000, the current occupancy stands at nearly 152 percent, raising serious concerns related to overcrowding, health, and human rights.
He further noted that 22,946 prisoners in the state are undertrials—individuals whose guilt has not yet been proven or whose cases are still under trial. Among these undertrial inmates, 21 percent are from tribal communities, 19 percent from Dalit communities, and nearly 40 percent from Other Backward Classes (OBC). In total, around 80 percent of undertrial prisoners belong to socio-economically disadvantaged sections.
According to the Leader of Opposition, these figures highlight deep-rooted inequalities within the judicial system. Poverty, lack of legal awareness, and inability to arrange bail amounts force thousands of individuals to remain incarcerated for years. He described this as a serious violation of the right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Recent observations by the Supreme Court of India are also considered significant in this context. The apex court has taken a strict stance against prolonged detention of undertrial prisoners, stating that keeping individuals in jail without conviction is a violation of fundamental rights. The court has directed states to conduct regular case reviews and simplify the bail process.
As for convicted prisoners, the state has nearly 22,000 sentenced inmates, about half of whom belong to tribal and Dalit communities. This situation raises serious questions not only about the prison system but also about broader social structures.
Umang Singhar has urged the government and judiciary to expedite trials, make bail provisions more practical, and prioritize prison reforms. Experts warn that unless concrete steps are taken in time, both prison overcrowding and social inequality will continue to worsen.