Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Punjab government to submit a detailed account of the medical treatment and rehabilitation mechanisms currently in place for inmates struggling with substance abuse across state correctional facilities. The court instructed the Additional Director General of Police (Prisons) to file a comprehensive affidavit providing a prison-wise breakdown of inmates enrolled in Outpatient Opioid-Assisted Treatment (OOAT) programs.
A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor initiated suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) proceedings following an alarming inspection report submitted by the administrative judge of the Mansa sessions division. The report highlighted severe drug dependency issues within the Mansa prison facility, where approximately 530 out of 767 inmates—nearly 69 percent of the total prison population—are registered at the in-house OOAT clinic.
Expressing deep concern over the high proportion of affected individuals, the bench questioned the state authorities regarding the exact clinical protocols used to gradually taper inmates off dependency medications rather than maintaining indefinite substitution therapies. The court emphasized the necessity of a sustainable de-addiction strategy, seeking a structured Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to ensure effective medical intervention during incarceration and to prevent relapses once individuals are released into society.
To assist the court in evaluating existing correctional healthcare infrastructure and formulating effective rehabilitation guidelines, the bench appointed Advocate Tanu Bedi as amicus curiae in the matter. The state government is scheduled to submit its formal response outlining the treatment protocols and post-release support systems in the upcoming proceedings.
