NHRC notice to Punjab government over reports 42% jail inmates are addicts

The NHRC said the report should include action taken by the authorities to address the serious issue that came up during the meeting mentioned in the news report

Taking suo-motu cognizance of media reports that 42% of prisoners in jails are drug addicts, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday issued notices to Punjab chief secretary and director general of prisons as well as the director general of prisons, Chandigarh, calling for a detailed report in the matter within four weeks.

The NHRC said the report should include action taken by the authorities to address the serious issue that came up during the meeting mentioned in the news report

The NHRC said the report should include action taken by the authorities to address the serious issue that came up during the meeting mentioned in the news report. The commission would also like to know what steps have been taken or proposed to be taken to save the prisoners of the Punjab and Chandigarh jails from the drug menace, in consonance with its advisory issued on June 19, 2023, regarding mitigating deliberate self-harm and suicide attempts by prisoners, according to an official release.

The revelation came during a meeting held by the Punjab State Human Rights Commission recently with prominent stakeholders and experts to deliberate on challenges within the prison systems of Punjab and Chandigarh. It was attended by the special DGP, prisons ADGP, additional IG-cum-superintendent of jail of Chandigarh and 25 superintendents of different jails in Punjab. The commission has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, raise a serious issue of human rights violation of the inmates lodged in different jails of Punjab, including UT of Chandigarh.