Hyderabad: The Telangana Prisons Department witnessed a total of 42,566 admissions, both male and female, in 2025, reflecting an 11.8 per cent increase compared to 38,079 in 2024, according to the department’s annual report released on Monday, January 12.
From the 42,566 prisoners admitted, 5,856 prisoners were convicted in 2025, marking an 81 per cent surge from the 3,229 convicted in 2024.
In 2025, there were 36,627 undertrial prisoners, of whom 33,957 were men and 2,648 were women, with the remaining belonging to other categories.
Sharp rise in arrests for Cybercrime, drunk driving
The report’s categorisation of prisoners’ admission based on crimes showed that 7,792 (7,679 men and 113 women) individuals were property offenders in 2025.
As compared to 2024, last year saw a staggering 135 per cent rise in prisoners arrested for cybercrime, including 1,675 men and 109 women.
The report also recorded a sharp rise in drunk-driving cases in 2025 (150 per cent), with 2,833 arrests made during the year, compared to 1,124 arrests in 2024.
As many as 7,040 were booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, with 6,732 men and 308 women.
“Foreign admissions have decreased this year. Overall, 74 foreign nationals were held in 2025, significantly less than the 107 arrested in 2024,” the report stated.
The department also recorded the arrest of 4,176 under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, a marginal increase from the 3,750 booked in 2024.
A total of 3,260 accused were arrested for murder, a steep 18 per cent increase from 2024’s 2,754 arrests.
Most inmates between 18 and 30 years of age
The majority of prisoners in 2025 were between the ages of 18 and 30, comprising a total of 19,413 inmates. In comparison, in 2024, the majority of prisoners fell within the 31–50 age group, with 17,276 inmates recorded.
Additionally, 3,835 prisoners were above 51 years of age.
According to the report, 2,496 of the total prisoners were repeat offenders, and 40,090 were first-time offenders, indicating a higher percentage of prisoners arrested for the first time.
Over 23k turned literate, 28 completed degrees in prisons
More than 23,000 prisoners have gained literacy through the “Thumb In – Sign Out” initiative, and 28 inmates graduated with degrees in 2025 in Telangana prisons through study centres, the report said.
“Under Thumb In – Sign Out motto, 23,220 prisoners were made literate. Under this programme, 108 inmates, including eight women inmates, have been enrolled in the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) to appear for the Class 10 examination. Through the study centres of Cherlapalli Prison, run by Dr BR Ambedkar Open University, 28 inmates completed their graduation in 2025,” the report stated.
Further, the Telangana Prisons also trained inmates in prison industries, agriculture and allied activities, with a total of 4,615 inmates trained in various skills.
“Out of 5,856 convict admissions, 4,615 prisoners (79 per cent) were provided skill development
training in 2025,” the report said.
Moreover, 936 prisoners underwent cognitive behaviour therapy under the Unnathi programme, and 624 women inmates were given individual and group counselling at Chanchalguda with the support of Bhumika Women’s Collective.
Currently, 60 inmates from nine prisons across the state are undergoing the Training of Trainers (TOT) programme on psychotherapy to promote emotional healing and mental well-being.
Department given recognition for its rehabilitation adn reintegration initiative
To provide employment and skill training to inmates, the Telangana Prisons Department set up 32 fuel outlets in partnership with national oil companies, IOCL, BPCL, and HPCL.
The prison department also stated that over Rs 3 crore in salaries were given out to the prisoners in 2025.
The Telangana Prisons department was given the SKOCH award for its project on “Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Prisoners into Society” and the Best Hygiene Prison for Cherlapalli prison.
Multiple new initiatives were launched in 2025 by the Telangana Prisons department, including the establishment of De-addiction centres, a first-of-its-kind in India. It was launched at several locations across the state, including the Special Prison for Women in Hyderabad, the Central Prisons at Cherlapalli, Sangareddy, and Nizamabad.
The department also standardised the prison industries across all jails by adopting raw materials and uniform preparation to ensure consistent quality and presentation of products, the report stated.
