March 22, 2026 : The Supreme Court has directed all States and Union Territories to furnish updated data on prison conditions by May 18, with specific details on sanctioned capacity and measures taken to address overcrowding.

A bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta also called for information on the number of women’s prisons and the facilities available therein, including provisions for the education and welfare of children residing with female inmates.

The directions came after submissions by Senior Advocate Gaurav Agrawal, appearing as amicus curiae in a suo motu matter concerning prison conditions. He pointed out that the existing data on record dates back to 2023.

Taking note of this, the Court directed that the updated data must reflect the status as of the first day of the current month and include detailed, jail-wise occupancy figures. The matter has been listed for further hearing on May 26.