The Supreme Court on Thursday lashed out at the Centre and states over "pathetic condition" in jails and observation homes for children across the country, saying everything has been reduced to a "joke".

"Please visit jails and observation homes for children to see the condition. Ask your officials to get out of their offices...taps are not working, toilets are not working... they are all blocked...they are in a pathetic condition," said the bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta.