Hyderabad: Telangana prison population rose sharply in 2025 due to a steep increase in cybercrime and drunk driving cases, the Telangana Prisons Department said.
The annual report showed that total prison admissions increased from 38,079 in 2024 to 42,566 in 2025. This marked an overall rise of 11.8 per cent.
Cybercrime cases recorded the highest jump at 135.6 per cent during the year. Meanwhile, drunk driving cases surged by 152 per cent .
Officials said admissions under the NDPS Act, POCSO Act, murder cases, property offences, and crimes against women also rose. However, these increases remained lower than cyber and traffic-related offences.
Telangana prison data shows undertrials form bulk of inmates
The report revealed that undertrial prisoners continued to form the largest share of the Telangana prison population. Undertrial admissions rose from 34,811 in 2024 to 36,627 in 2025.
This represented a growth of 5.21 per cent during the year .
Convict admissions, in contrast, rose sharply by 81 per cent. The number increased from 3,229 to 5,856 during the same period.
Detenue admissions more than doubled, officials said. Civil admissions also recorded a noticeable rise.
Age-wise data showed that most inmates belonged to the 18–30 and 31–50 age groups. Officials said younger offenders accounted for a significant share of new admissions.
The department also reported better court production efficiency. In 2025, authorities conducted 69.47 per cent of court productions through video conferencing.
This marked an increase from 55.87 per cent in 2024. Physical production compliance crossed 98 per cent during the year .
Officials highlighted progress in legal aid and rehabilitation initiatives. During 2025, jail adalaths facilitated the release of 985 prisoners.
In addition, 6,573 inmates availed legal aid services. The report noted improvements in access to justice.
The department said Telangana prison administration ranked first nationally in implementing the Support to Poor Prisoners Scheme. This initiative helped eligible inmates secure release on bail.