Nepalese Prison on the Verge of Collapse

Palpa jail, built 90 years ago, is crumbling – it’s one of Nepal’s oldest prisons.

Human rights activist Madhav Basyal visits the prison each month to check the prisoner’s living conditions… 

“The buildings are in a bad condition, the walls are being held up by wooden poles. They could fall at any time and harm the prisoners.  They don’t feel safe or secure.”

The local government says they are particularly worried about the problem now it’s the rainy season. 

“The buildings are in a critical condition and during the rainy season, we ask the police, the armed police and the army to remain on alert - all the run-off water hits the walls of the prison,” says Nawaral Baral, Assistant to the Chief District Officer in Palpa.

The prison is meant to house less than 200 inmates but now there are nearly 400 prisoners being kept inside. 

In Palpa, a new building was built four years ago after the Maoist rebels destroyed some infrastructure in 2004. The building is meant for female prisoners.

But Dhirendra Raj Panta, a guard at Palpa Prison, says the building hasn’t opened yet.



“Because the district security committee said that the new building isn’t good from a security perspective, we are still making changes to the building.”

Overcrowding is not just a problem in Palpa, but in jails across the country…with every jail in Nepal holding double their capacity.

Nawaraj Baral says the local government in Palpa wants major overhauls to the system.

“Prisons should be restructured so that there is open space and facilities like a gym, library, health and sports facilities, entertainment…things that are all important from a human rights perspective.”

But Nepal has long way to go before its prisons can become real rehabilitation centers.