Surge in cyber crime and drunk driving lead to 12% jump in number of inmates in Telangana prisons

According to the Annual Report submitted by Telangana Prisons Department on Monday, January 12, 2026, the number of jail inmates in Telangana increased by nearly 12% in 2025; This was largely due to the increase in cybercrime and drunk driving cases.

According to Soumya Mishra, Director General of Telangana Prisons, the total number of inmates increased from 38,079 in 2024 to 42,566 in 2025 and the actual number of trials was 36,627. While the number of convicts increased from 3 thousand 229 to 5 thousand 856, the number of detainees more than doubled. Cybercrime cases recorded the highest increase of over 135%, followed by drunk driving cases with an increase of more than 150%. An increasing trend was also seen in cases under the NDPS Act, POCSO Act, murder, property crimes and crimes against women. The number of foreign national detainees decreased from 107 to 74.

Repeat offenders are on the rise

The largest share of new prisoners is in the 18 to 30 age group, followed by those aged 31 to 50. The number of repeat offenses increased from 1,468 in 2024 to 2,496 in 2025; This points to ongoing difficulties in preventing recidivism.

The Director General added that the production of prisoners in court has seen a major shift towards digital processes. “A total of 1,93,404 court productions were recorded in 2025, of which about 70% were conducted through video conferencing, compared to about 56% in 2024. The overall physical production rate has also improved, reflecting better coordination between prisons, police and courts,” he said.

Prison management has expanded the use of video conferencing in court productions and implemented a wide range of rehabilitation, healthcare, skills development and technology initiatives.

Legal aid infrastructure has been strengthened with support from State and Territory Legal Services Authorities. Some 155 panel advocates and 47 paralegal volunteers are currently working in prisons. 44 prisons during the year Adalaths A hearing was held in which 1,558 cases were heard and 985 prisoners were released. Under the Poor Prisoners Assistance Programme, 18 prisoners were released on bail with the help of the government and Telangana stood first in the country in implementing the programme.

Literacy provided to 23,000 prisoners

Education and skills development remained a key focus. More than 23,000 inmates have been made literate under the literacy campaign, while 108 inmates have registered for Class X exams through National Open Schooling. Twenty-eight inmates graduated from Dr. BR Ambedkar completed through Open University study centres. Approximately 4,615 convicts, approximately 79 percent of those accepted in 2025, received vocational training in various professions, from welding to tailoring, from beekeeping to baking and printing. Prison industries and agricultural units generated wages in excess of ₹ 1.63 crore for inmates during the year.

Interest-free loans to prisoners, a program specific to Telangana, continued to be provided and 58 prisoners received financial assistance in 2025. Behavioral therapy programs such as Unnathi and psychosocial counseling involved more than 1,500 inmates; Nivrutti branded addiction fighting centers were established in large prisons with structured screening, treatment and post-release follow-up.

Rehabilitation

In the field of rehabilitation, the department expanded its network of fuel outlets operated by semi-open and released prisoners in partnership with national oil companies. Three new stores were opened during the year and more than ₹3.79 crore was paid as salaries to inmates working in these units. Initiatives such as sentencing planning, waste-to-wealth programmes, agarbatti production from temple flowers and beekeeping projects have also been scaled up to produce around 500 kg of honey in six prisons.

The development of technology was another important driver. Equipment worth ₹2.5 crore, including computers, biometric devices, body-worn cameras, drones and surveillance systems, has been provided under ICJS 2.0 and modernization plans. IT Cell has been established at the prison headquarters, Swagatham portal has been opened for digital visitor management and steps have been taken for e-Office and biometric attendance in all prisons. The Supreme Court also approved the installation of kiosk machines in prisons to enable inmates to access case details, legal aid and appeal services.

The infrastructure project, at various stages, included the 415-inmate capacity Siddipet District Jail (nearing completion), expansion of barracks in major central prisons to reduce overcrowding, and proposals for a high-security prison and a national correctional training institute in Warangal. A new firing range for staff training and renovation of the prison goods store in Cherlapalli were also part of the list of infrastructure projects.

It was published – 12 January 2026 13:46 IST