Nepal eyes electronic monitoring to ease prison overcrowding
Synopsis
Nepal is drafting a law that would let courts order convicted offenders to serve sentences with electronic monitoring devices instead of prison time — and make the offenders pay for the hardware themselves. With 27,643 prisoners packed into 75 jails, many at double capacity, the reform addresses a structural crisis that urban prisons can no longer absorb.
Key Takeaways
Nepal's Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs has prepared a draft bill introducing electronically monitored home detention for eligible offenders.
The amendment targets the Criminal Offences (Sentencing and Execution) Act, 2017 .
Offenders must bear all costs of the monitoring device; refusal results in a return to prison.
Violating court-set conditions carries an additional one-year sentence on top of the original term.
Nepal currently holds 27,643 prisoners across 75 prisons , with major urban facilities operating at nearly double capacity .
Nepal is weighing a significant shift in its criminal justice approach, with the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs preparing a draft bill that would allow certain convicted offenders to serve prison sentences under electronic monitoring rather than in conventional correctional facilities. The proposal, if enacted, would formally introduce electronically monitored home detention into Nepal's legal framework for the first time.
What the Draft Bill Proposes
The draft amendment to the Criminal Offences (Sentencing and Execution) Act, 2017 states that if a court deems it appropriate, it may order an offender to serve a custodial sentence with an electronic monitoring device attached. The offender would be required to wear or carry the device throughout the sentence period.
Crucially, the financial burden of the arrangement falls on the offender. The proposed provision stipulates that if an offender refuses to bear the costs of installing and operating the device, he or she shall be returned to prison to complete the sentence in custody.
Conditions and Safeguards
Courts would be required to set specific limits and conditions for each offender placed under electronic supervision, taking into account factors including age, physical and mental health, and past conduct. The framework is not a blanket entitlement — judicial discretion remains central to each decision.
The draft includes a firm deterrent against non-compliance: any offender who violates the court-set conditions would face an additional one-year prison sentence on top of the originally imposed term.
The Prison Overcrowding Problem
Chomendra Neupane, spokesperson for the Department of Prison Management under the Ministry of Home Affairs, said prisons in major urban centres have remained severely overcrowded, with some facilities housing inmates at nearly double their official capacity. He noted that prisoners tend to prefer jails in larger cities because proximity to family is easier to maintain, concentrating the overcrowding problem in urban facilities.
According to departmental data, 27,643 prisoners are currently housed across 75 prisons nationwide. Of these, 26,117 are male and 1,526 are female. Most facilities are operating at full capacity, with only a handful retaining any vacant space.
A Global Model Comes to Nepal
Electronically monitored home detention has been adopted in several countries as a cost-effective tool to reduce prison overcrowding while keeping low-risk offenders under structured supervision. Nepal's proposed model aligns with this international trend, though the cost-to-offender structure distinguishes it from systems where the state absorbs monitoring expenses.
The formal introduction of the system is expected to ease pressure on Nepal's strained prison infrastructure. The bill is yet to be tabled in parliament, and its passage timeline remains to be confirmed.
Point of View
Wealthier convicts gain access to a more comfortable sentencing option that poorer ones cannot afford. That risk — creating a two-tier justice system where the ability to pay determines whether you go home or go to jail — deserves legislative scrutiny before the bill is tabled. The overcrowding crisis is real, with 27,643 people in facilities built for far fewer, but the solution should not inadvertently monetise liberty.
NationPress
26 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Nepal's proposed electronic monitoring bill?
It is a draft amendment to the Criminal Offences (Sentencing and Execution) Act, 2017, prepared by Nepal's Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs. The bill would allow courts to order eligible convicted offenders to serve prison sentences outside correctional facilities while wearing or carrying an electronic monitoring device.
Who bears the cost of the electronic monitoring device in Nepal's proposal?
Under the draft bill, the offender is responsible for all costs associated with installing and operating the device. If the offender refuses to pay, he or she is sent to prison to serve the sentence in conventional custody.
What happens if an offender violates the electronic monitoring conditions?
The draft states that any offender who breaches the limits and conditions set by the court will face an additional one-year prison sentence on top of the sentence originally imposed by the court.
How overcrowded are Nepal's prisons currently?
According to the Department of Prison Management, Nepal's 75 prisons currently hold 27,643 inmates — 26,117 male and 1,526 female. Major urban facilities are reportedly operating at nearly double their official capacity.
Has Nepal enacted this electronic monitoring law yet?
No. As of late June 2025, the provision exists only as a draft bill prepared by the Ministry of Law. It has not yet been formally tabled in parliament, and its passage timeline has not been confirmed.
