India is home to several prisons dispersed throughout the nation due to its diverse population and intricate judicial system. In addition to helping to rehabilitate offenders, these correctional facilities are crucial to upholding law and order. We shall examine the top ten largest jails in India in this post, emphasizing their functions and importance within the criminal justice system.
What are Jails?
Jails are establishments intended for the short-term confinement of people awaiting trial, sentencing, or serving terms. These establishments function as a mechanism of holding people accountable for alleged criminal activity and are a component of the larger criminal justice system. The length of stay, the kinds of convicts, and the reason for incarceration are the main ways that jails and prisons vary from one another.
How Many Jails are there in India?
1,306 facilities make up India’s jail system, which is divided into different sorts according to their purposes. Among them are 413 District Jails, 565 Sub Jails, 88 Open Jails, 44 Special Jails, 29 Women Jails, 19 Borstal Schools, and 3 Other Jails. There are also 145 Central Jails. From detaining people at the central and district levels to offering open and specialized confinement environments, including those that accommodate women and adolescents, each of these facilities has a distinct function. The wide range of correctional institutions available in India is indicative of the comprehensive approach the country takes in managing and rehabilitating its offenders.
India’s Largest Jail
Since its founding in 1957, Tihar Jail in Delhi has been the biggest jail complex in South Asia. With nine core jails, it can hold up to 5200 prisoners. Serving as a rehabilitation facility, it uses cutting edge methods including music therapy through concerts to teach skills for inmates’ reintegration into society. Tihar also has an industrial hub that produces goods under the “Tihar” brand.
Top-10 Biggest Jails in India 2024
Here is the list of top-10 largest jails in India 2024:
| LARGEST JAILS IN INDIA | |||
| Rank | Jail | Location | Area |
| 1. | Tihar Jail | New Delhi, Delhi | 400 acres |
| 2. | Yerawada Central Jail | Pune, Maharashtra | 512 acres |
| 3. | Naini Central Jail | Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh | 237 acres |
| 4. | Puzhal Central Jail | Chennai, Tamil Nadu | 211 acres |
| 5. | Rajahmundry Central Jail | Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh | 196 acres |
| 6. | Vellore Central Jail | Vellore, Tamil Nadu | 153 acres |
| 7. | Patiala Central Jail | Patiala, Punjab | 110 acres |
| 8. | Alipore Central Jail | Kolkata, West Bengal | 40 acres |
| 9. | Parappana Agrahara Central Jail | Bangalore, Karnataka | 40 acres |
| 10. | Gaya Central Jail | Gaya, Bihar | 31 acres |
Biggest Jail in India 2024- FAQs
Q1. Which is the biggest jail in India?
Ans. Tihar Jail, located in New Delhi, which encompasses an area of 400 acres is the biggest jail of India.
Q2. Which is the largest jail in the world?
Ans. The largest prison in the world is the Silivri Penitentiaries Campus in the northwestern suburbs of Istanbul, Turkey, according to Guinness World Records.
