Tue Feb 04 09:21:28 IST 2025: **West Bengal Jails See Sharp Rise in Post-Sentence Inmates and Children of Incarcerated Mothers**
Kolkata, February 4, 2025 – A Right to Information (RTI) application has revealed a disturbing trend in West Bengal’s correctional homes: a significant increase in the number of prisoners remaining incarcerated after completing their sentences, alongside a concerning number of children living alongside their imprisoned mothers.
Data obtained by RTI activist Sabir Ahamed shows a 45% increase in “Jankhalash” prisoners (those who remain in jail post-sentence completion) between 2019 and 2022, rising from 277 to 401. The overall prison population also increased from 23,810 to 28,789 during the same period.
Equally alarming is the presence of children within the prison system. The number of children incarcerated alongside their mothers fluctuated slightly over the four years, but consistently remained above 190. In 2022, 213 children (110 boys and 103 girls) were held within West Bengal’s correctional facilities. These children, some as young as toddlers, face challenging conditions, lacking access to basic rights such as education and healthcare. While children under six may stay with their mothers, concerns remain about the overall well-being and future of these children.
Ashin Chakraborty of the Sabar Institute, associated with Mr. Ahamed, criticized the lack of detail regarding the protection of children’s rights within the correctional homes. He highlighted the urgent need for improved conditions and adequate provisions for education, healthcare, and other essential needs. He described the situation as a “parallel crisis” reflecting failures within the justice system, including delays, understaffing, and apathy. The continued incarceration of adults past their sentence completion further exacerbates the situation for children living within these facilities.
First Piper 