Rape offenders make up most of Nepal's inmates

Kathmandu: Most of the prisoners in Nepal's jails are those convicted of rape. This is followed by drug offenders and individuals convicted of murder.

According to Jay Narayan Acharya, Director General of the Prison Management Department, who spoke to parliamentarians at the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee meeting under the House of Representatives on Wednesday, there are currently 28,613 prisoners in Nepal. This total includes 10,932 detainees and 17,681 convicted prisoners.

Among these prisoners, 26,966 are men, and 1,647 are women. There are 618 senior citizens aged over 65, and 1,432 are foreign nationals. Additionally, there are 618 dependent children living with their mothers in prison.

Of the total prisoners, 7,453 are incarcerated for rape, 6,114 for drug-related offenses, and 4,794 for murder.

Prison Capacity and Conditions

The country has 75 prisons across 72 districts. There are no jails in Bhaktapur, Dhanusha, Bara, East Nawalparasi, and Rukum East. Kathmandu, Dang, and Banke each have two prisons. According to the Prison Management Department, overcrowding is a major issue as the total number of prisoners exceeds the prisons' capacity. Director General Jaya Narayan Acharya noted that 9 prison buildings are in poor condition, 33 prison walls are damaged, 10 prison roofs are leaking, and 28 prison buildings are dilapidated.

The central prison in Kathmandu, which has a capacity of 1,600 prisoners, currently holds 3,800 inmates. Acharya mentioned that many of these prisoners are ill. Most prisons have a health post, but there are no health workers available. Acharya said, "Many prisoners are sick, and a lot of money is spent on their treatment."

He added that among the prisoners in Kathmandu, 17 are suffering from hepatitis and require daily medication costing 17,000 rupees. Acharya indicated that it is challenging to effectively treat these patients.

Annual Expenditure on Prisoners

Approximately 2 billion rupees are spent annually on food, water, and medical treatment for prisoners. Acharya reported that 1.75 billion rupees are currently allocated for daily food and refreshments, with an additional 61 million rupees still needed.

Acharya also mentioned that while 933 prisoners have been included in the health insurance program, others could not be enrolled due to pseudonyms and lack of citizenship documentation.

Child Correctional Facilities

There are child correctional homes in 8 districts, including Bhaktapur and Biratnagar, housing 1,294 children who have committed offenses. A significant number of these children are over 18 years old.

Parole and Pardon

In the last fiscal year, 594 prisoners were released on parole. This year, 601 prisoners with good behavior have been recommended for pardon. Additionally, a new software system will be implemented this fiscal year to maintain integrated details of prisoners.