UP Prison Overcrowding Rate Falls as Yogi Government Expands Jail Capacity

Uttar Pradesh currently operates 77 prisons across the state, comprising 7 Central Prisons, 2 Women's Central Prisons, 64 District Prisons, 1 Special Prison, 2 Sub-Jails, and 1 Juvenile Home. The Yogi Government has prioritised modernising and expanding the prison system to address growing inmate populations.

Inmate capacity has grown significantly from 58,400 in 2017 to 77,673 by 2026. The prison overcrowding rate declined substantially during this period, falling from 1.77 in 2017 to 1.03 in 2026. Since 2017, seven new prisons have been opened in Chitrakoot, Ambedkarnagar, Sant Kabir Nagar, Etawah, Prayagraj, Shravasti, and Bareilly, adding capacity for 10,495 inmates.

The government is constructing six additional district jails in Kanpur Nagar, Auraiya, Shahjahanpur, Gyanpur-Bhadohi, Moradabad, and Lalitpur, which will create capacity for 7,732 more inmates. Construction on new jails in Amethi and Mahoba is nearly complete.