As of May 5, 2025, there are no specific reports indicating that prisoners in Maharashtra are currently suffering from widespread skin infections. However, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has recently expressed concern over deteriorating conditions in Maharashtra’s overcrowded prisons. The court has given the state government a two-week ultimatum to submit detailed data on staff shortages, recruitment timelines, and per-inmate expenditure in jails across the state .

Overcrowding in prisons can lead to various health issues among inmates, including skin diseases. For instance, in 2023, a screening camp conducted by the Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists, and Leprologists (IADVL) in Kerala revealed that about 30% of inmates had skin diseases, with fungal infections being the most common. Similar issues have been reported in other regions, such as Metro Manila, where inmates developed boils and scabies due to extreme heat and overcrowding .

In response to such concerns, some prisons have initiated measures to improve hygiene and prevent the spread of skin infections. For example, the Yerwada Central Prison in Pune introduced washing machines to help disinfect inmates’ clothes and bedding, aiming to control skin diseases .

While there are no current reports of skin infections among prisoners in Maharashtra, the ongoing issues of overcrowding and understaffing in the state’s prisons underscore the need for continued attention to inmate health and well-being.

Sources