Dignity Of Prisoners: Prison Conditions In India: A Case Study Of Thane Central Jail, Maharashtra
- IJLLR Journal
- Feb 3
- 1 min read
Karnsinh Murlidhar Desai, LLB, Sanjay Ghodawat University, Kolhapur
ABSTRACT
The dignity of prisoners is a central concern within India’s constitutional and human rights framework, yet conditions in many prisons remain inconsistent with the guarantees under Articles 14, 21, and 23 of the Constitution and international norms. Using Thane Central Jail in Maharashtra as a case study, this paper examines how overcrowding, inadequate medical facilities, exploitative prison labour, and unsafe infrastructure collectively erode the dignity of prisoners, particularly undertrials. During a field visit, it was observed that only undertrial prisoners were housed in Thane Central Jail, with a sanctioned capacity of 1,111 prisoners (1,086 male and 25 female), but an actual population of 3,323 prisoners (3,196 male and 127 female) along with three children. The prison provides very low wages for work— ₹74 for skilled, ₹64 for semi-skilled, and ₹53 for unskilled labour per day— and has only two medical officers to serve the entire population.
Against this empirical backdrop, the paper situates Thane Central Jail within the broader national debate on prison reforms and the right to live with dignity in custody. It argues that the conditions documented in Thane are not isolated anomalies but symptomatic of systemic issues across Indian prisons, such as overcrowding, under-staffing, poor health infrastructure, and neglect of basic facilities. The paper concludes by proposing concrete reforms, including the creation of a new cadre position of Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) who is also a qualified doctor (MBBS/BHMS) in every prison beyond a minimum inmate threshold, rationalisation of prison wages, decongestion strategies for undertrials
Keywords: Prison dignity, undertrial prisoners, overcrowding, healthcare inadequacy, prison infrastructure, constitutional rights, India Justice Report 2025
