She said the old jail was not big enough to accommodate the increased number of prisoners. 'As against its capacity of 1,004 prisoners, as many as 2,680 prisoners were stuffed in it, in violation of norms laid down by the Human Rights Commission as well as the union government,' she pointed out, adding, 'the new district jail would have the capacity to accommodate 3,640 inmates.'

Mayawati said the new jail had been equipped with high-class security and other arrangements. Besides, different facilities for the welfare and improvement of prisoners had been provided.

Spread across 81 hectares on the Mohanlalganj-Gosainganj highway, the new jail complex - with a women's prison, a model jail and a district jail - was being completed at a cost of about Rs.327 crore.

According to an official spokesman, 'the new jails would have a modern kitchen, 80-bed hospital, safe meeting place, sewerage treatment plant, multi-purpose hall, school buildings in each circle, canteen, visitors' shade, bakery building, X-ray scanning, high security premises, CCTV, court room, video conferencing room, central watch towers, high mast light, police outpost, sensitive prisoner room, police barracks among other things.'