Arthur Road Jail

The Mumbai Central Prison, also referred to as Arthur Road Jail, was built in 1926, and is Mumbai's largest and oldest prison. It houses most of the city's prisoners. It was upgraded in 1994 to become a Central Prison and given its current official name, but it is still popularly referred to as Arthur Road Jail. The jail occupies 2 acres (0.81 ha) of land.

Location

The jail is located near Jacob Circle/Sat Rasta, between the Mahalaxmi and Chinchpokli railway stations in the southern part of the city. It is now surrounded by residential property renting for Rs 12-25,000/sq foot, while commercial property is leased for Rs 30-60,000/sq foot. A monorail is being built nearby.

Conditions

Space is at a premium inside. The jail was originally built to accommodate 800 prisoners but the average number of inmates is 2000—far exceeding its capacity in terms of space, sanitation and other facilities.

Popular culture

The prison features in Gregory David Roberts' award-winning book Shantaram, which details his life on the run and his time spent in Mumbai, including a stint in Arthur Road. Several scenes in Katherine Boo's Behind the Beautiful Forevers take place in the facility.