Punjab’s prisons are facing a troubling reality: a significant number of inmates appear to be developing drug dependence after entering jail.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has described the situation as serious after data placed before it indicated a sharp rise in the number of prisoners requiring treatment for drug dependence during their time behind bars.
A Bench led by Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor noted that the figures point to a disturbing pattern within Punjab’s prison system.
Official data showed that 15,768 of the 35,449 inmates lodged in Punjab jails — around 44 percent — are dependent on drugs.
What particularly concerned the Court was that a large proportion of these inmates were registered with Out Patient Opioid Assisted Treatment Clinics only after entering prison.
According to the figures examined by the Court, 2,540 inmates were already receiving treatment through the OOAT system before they were admitted to jail. The present number of drug-dependent inmates, however, stands at 15,768.
The Court said the numbers prima facie suggested a serious problem.
The data appeared to show not only that drug-dependent individuals were entering prisons, but that the number of inmates struggling with dependence was increasing dramatically after their incarceration.
The Bench noted that the increase was nearly four to five times higher than the number of prisoners who were already receiving treatment when they entered jail.
The Court also expressed concern over the absence of an effective strategy aimed at helping inmates overcome drug dependence.
Without meaningful treatment and rehabilitation, it observed, affected prisoners may continue to face serious difficulties even after their release. Their continued dependence could prevent them from fully rebuilding their lives and enjoying the protections associated with the right to life.
Punjab has now been asked to explain how it is implementing prison rules requiring a scientific de-addiction programme for inmates struggling with substance dependence.
The Union government has also been directed to place before the Court the methodology that can be used to help such inmates return to a normal and healthy life.
The High Court stressed that authorities must remain conscious of their responsibility towards prisoners battling addiction.
The matter stems from a case initiated by the Court on its own in July after an administrative report concerning Punjab’s Mansa Sessions Division brought the issue into focus.
The report highlighted the extensive use of opioid-assisted treatment among inmates. Prisoners dealing with addiction were being administered Buprenorphine in combination with Naloxone, with the dosage varying according to their medical condition and treatment needs.
In one jail examined in the report, 530 out of 767 inmates were registered with an OOAT Clinic operating within the prison premises. That meant roughly 69 percent of the jail’s inmate population was undergoing treatment, underlining the scale of the problem.
The Court had earlier sought jail-wise details from Punjab regarding the total inmate population and the number of prisoners registered with OOAT Clinics.
The situation in neighbouring Haryana, however, appeared markedly different.
Data submitted before the Court showed that 1,295 out of 27,111 inmates in Haryana’s prisons were drug-dependent. The number had earlier stood at 1,829 but declined after treatment was provided.
The Court noted that the reduction of 534 cases appeared to demonstrate the impact that treatment could have.
Haryana has now been asked to provide details about the availability of trained counsellors in its prisons.
PGIMER Chandigarh has also been directed to assist the Court by outlining how drug-dependent inmates can be treated and rehabilitated. The institution has been asked to provide a clear medical protocol for restoring affected prisoners to a state of normalcy.
The case is scheduled to be taken up again on September 15.
