More than 44 per cent of inmates in Punjab's jails are dependent on drugs, the state government told the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday. The figures came up during the hearing of a suo motu case concerning drug dependence and treatment among prisoners.
The court noted that of the 35,449 inmates lodged across Punjab's prisons, 15,768 are drug-dependent, Bar and Bench reported.
Court flags serious concern over drug dependence
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rajesh Gaur examined the status report submitted by the Punjab government and highlighted the scale of the issue.
The court noted that a majority of the drug-dependent inmates are in their prime youth and said the situation requires urgent attention from the state.
"There cannot be anything more serious than this. What kind of a policy do we have to bring these inmates out of drug dependence," Justice Mishra remarked.
The numbers from individual prisons also showed the extent of the problem. In Amritsar, 2,124 of the 4,918 inmates were reported to be drug-dependent. In Bathinda, the figure stood at 1,064 among 1,978 inmates.
Inmates receiving opioid-assisted treatment
The case was initiated by the High Court in July after it received a report from the administrative judge of the Mansa Sessions Division.
The report said several inmates dependent on drugs were being administered Buprenorphine in combination with Naloxone. Depending on their medical condition and treatment requirements, the prescribed dosage ranged from one to four tablets.
The report also stated that 530 out of 767 inmates at one jail were registered with the Out-Patient Opioid Assisted Treatment Clinic (OOAT Clinic) operating within the prison. This accounted for approximately 69 per cent of the jail's inmate population.
Court seeks details from Haryana, Chandigarh
The bench also considered concerns that inmates could face health problems if their prescribed drug doses were stopped.
"That may be true but then I think there has to be something worked out," the Acting Chief Justice added.
The court said such inmates cannot remain in a helpless situation indefinitely and decided that the matter would be taken up every week. Advocate Tanu Bedi, appointed as amicus curiae, was asked to examine the state's affidavit and assist the court.
The court has also sought details on drug-dependent inmates from Haryana and the Chandigarh Administration and asked the Union government to assist. The matter will next be heard on September 8.