Pune’s Yerwada Central Jail Overcrowding Solution: Police Housing Corporation’s Plan For A New Facility

Pune, 28th October 2023: Yerawada Central Jail, designed to house 2,323 inmates across thirty barracks, currently finds itself densely populated with an excess of 6,000 prisoners. In response to this overcrowding, a proposal for the construction of a new jail, intended to accommodate 3,000 temporarily incarcerated prisoners, has been forwarded to the Maharashtra state government by the Public Works Department (PWD), with a projected cost of Rs 175 crores. However, the construction of this new facility is still pending as it is set to be undertaken by the Police Housing Corporation.

The existing Yerwada Central Jail consists of eight barracks in circles 1, 3, and Tilak Yard, with six barracks in circle 2 and three additional barracks in the juvenile section. In addition, various types of inmates, including those sentenced to death, sick prisoners, senior citizens, and foreign prisoners, are residing in the different barracks. A significant portion of these inmates are classified as temporarily incarcerated prisoners, leading to the proposal for a separate facility dedicated to them.

The Public Works Department had initially designed the new jail, comprising a ground floor and a first floor, with plans for an administrative building, a senior jail officer’s office, and a central kitchen, among other facilities. However, the Home Department has rejected this proposal and has tasked the Police Housing Corporation with developing a new plan for the jail’s construction.

Shahaji Jadhav, Executive Engineer at the Police Housing Corporation, stated, “In light of the overpopulation at Yerwada Central Jail, a proposal for a new facility has been put forth. Preliminary discussions and building design have been completed. As soon as the necessary funds are approved, the tender for the new jail will be issued, and construction will commence.”

Yerwada Central Jail spread over 65 acres, primarily houses long-term prisoners, while the proposed new jail, covering 30 acres, will be dedicated to temporarily incarcerated prisoners. Notably, the new jail will feature 30 high-security rooms with an outer boundary wall of 21 feet and an inner boundary wall of 10 feet, specially designed for hardened criminals.