Pune's Yerawada jail overcrowded: NCW

Pune's Yerawada Central Prison holds more than double its capacity, the National Commission for Women (NCW) said after an inspection on Thursday.

According to the women's body, the jail has 282 inmates while the total capacity is 126.

"Of this, 164 are convicts and 118 are undertrials. There is one foreign inmate while 10 children are staying with their mothers," NCW member Alok Rawat.

The inspection was carried out for assessing and looking into various aspects including overcrowding, availability of legal help, rehabilitation plans such as skill development and training, legal awareness for women inmates, proper facilities for the children of these inmates among others.

"The jail authorities are striving to involve NGOs in their efforts to improve the living conditions of inmates, as also to provide them skills aimed at their rehabilitation, going beyond the traditional embroidery skill training and introducing new training like repairing of home appliances," an NCW statement said.

However, it also mentioned that there have been marks of improvement of basic amenities being provided to inmates like renovation of space and modernization of hygienic facilities.

"Use of solar power for providing warm water to inmates was also operational and health facilities provided seemed to be adequate," it added.

--IANS

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