Archive · 11 Jan 2026
Assam Jails Near Decongestion After PR Bond Releases
Assam's jails are becoming less crowded because many people who were waiting for their trials (undertrials) have been released.
The Supreme Court said these people should be let out on personal bonds, even if they can't pay bail.
This has helped reduce the number of prisoners in jails like Guwahati Central Jail, which was very overcrowded.
The jails are now closer to their normal capacity, making things safer and easier to manage.
The number of new cases has also gone down, and more people are being found guilty in court compared to a few years ago.
Assam jails are now overcrowded by only about 1,200 inmates, down from several thousand earlier.
Three of the six central jails in Assam are already housing fewer inmates than their capacity.
Guwahati Central Jail has released nearly 400 inmates in the last three months.
The Supreme Court directed the release of undertrial prisoners on PR bonds to address overcrowding.
The number of cases registered has decreased significantly from 1,33,239 in 2021 to 43,748 in 2025.
- Who
- Undertrial prisoners in Assam jails
- What
- Release of prisoners on personal recognizance (PR) bonds
- When
- Recent months, with significant releases in the last three months
- Where
- Assam, India, particularly Guwahati Central Jail
- Why
- To address overcrowding and uphold fairness as per Supreme Court directives
- Current Inmate Count
- 11,536
- Jail Capacity
- 10,400
- Overcrowding Difference
- 1,200 inmates
- Guwahati Central Jail Capacity
- 1,400 prisoners
- Guwahati Central Jail Inmates (September 2025)
- 1,800
- Guwahati Central Jail Undertrials (September 2025)
- 1,466 (1,406 men, 60 women)
- Guwahati Central Jail Convicts (September 2025)
- 320 (305 men, 15 women)
- Cases Registered (2021)
- 1,33,239
- Cases Registered (2025)
- 43,748
- Chargesheet Filing Rate
- 81%
- Conviction Rate (2021)
- 6%
- Conviction Rate (2025)
- 26.38%
- National Average Conviction Rate
- 35%