Maharashtra Home Dept Unveils Plan to Tackle Prison Overcrowding in Thane, Mumbai
The Maharashtra Home Department has announced a series of infrastructure and legal measures to address severe overcrowding across the state's correctional facilities, including major jails in Thane, Arthur Road, and Taloja.
Prisons in Maharashtra have been operating at nearly 173 percent of their sanctioned capacity. Arthur Road Central Jail, for instance, was recorded housing approximately 3,410 inmates against an authorised capacity of 999. In response, the state government is moving forward with expansion and redevelopment projects alongside legal mechanisms to reduce inmate density.
A key component of the infrastructure plan is a proposed prison in Mankhurd. The Mumbai Suburban District Collector handed over 11 acres of encroachment-free land in Kurla taluka to the Superintendent of Mumbai Central Prison on May 15, 2026. The department intends to construct a modern facility with a substantially larger capacity on this site. Once the Mankhurd facility is operational, inmates from Mumbai Central Prison will be temporarily relocated to permit a comprehensive phased redevelopment of the existing prison structures into modern multi-storey buildings.
In addition to the Mankhurd project, the Home Department is considering the acquisition of 53 acres of private land at Daravali in Borivali taluka. This site is proposed for another modern prison designed for 1,000 inmates, which will also include a staff training centre and residential quarters.
Simultaneously, the administration is focusing on legal and administrative steps to lower inmate numbers. Eligible prisoners are being released on remission under guidelines issued by the Supreme Court, High Courts, and the National Legal Services Authority. Indigent undertrials who have secured bail but cannot afford the surety are receiving assistance through the Central Government's 'Support to Poor Prisoners' scheme, while authorities are petitioning courts for releases on personal bonds. For inmates charged with minor offences, jail courts are being held inside prison premises to expedite case disposals.
The department added that periodic inspections by the State and National Human Rights Commissions, the judiciary, and senior officials are being conducted to monitor sanitation, clean bedding, water supply, and health amenities across facilities.
