Assam: Over 70 per cent in prisons awaiting trial

About 71% of inmates in Assam’s jails are undertrials, underscoring systemic delays in the judicial process and extended pre-trial detentions, according to Ministry of Home Affairs data.

As of December 31, 2023, the state’s prison population totalled 10,652, with 7,546 undertrials, 3,096 convicts, and 10 detainees. No inmates were categorised as ‘Other’ for the period.

This aligns with India’s national trend, where over 73% of prisoners are undertrials, compared to 25.6% convicts and 0.7% detainees. In Assam, the majority of inmates are male: among convicts, 3,020 are men and 76 are women; undertrials include 7,217 men and 329 women, while all 10 detainees are male.

Distribution Across Facilities

Convicts are spread across various jail types:

• Central jails: 1,011
• District jails: 1,982
• Sub-jails: 18
• Open jails: 19
• Special jails: 66

Undertrials are primarily housed in:

• District jails: 3,922
• Central jails: 3,192
• Special jails: 393
• Sub-jails: 39

All detainees are held in central jails.

Age and Demographics

The prison population skews young. Among convicts:

• 19.2% (593) are aged 18–30
• 59.5% (1,842) are 31–50
• 21.4% (661) are 51 and above

Undertrials show an even younger profile:

• 45.1% (3,402) are 18–30
• 43.9% (3,312) are 31–50
• 11% (832) are 51 and above

Most inmates are Assam residents: 3,025 convicts and 6,705 undertrials are locals, while 64 convicts and 778 undertrials hail from other Indian states, and 7 convicts and 63 undertrials are foreign nationals. All 10 detainees are from other parts of India.

The high proportion of undertrials points to significant judicial bottlenecks, including slow trial processes, limited access to legal aid, and prolonged detentions for bailable offences. This contributes to prison overcrowding and raises concerns about the rights of those awaiting trial. Experts urge reforms to expedite trials, enhance legal support for marginalised groups, and streamline bail procedures to address these systemic issues.