Abstract

Background: To curb the social menace associated with rising illicit drug use among the youth, the law enforcing agencies have filled state prisons with people, who are in urgent need for the management of their drug use problems. This study was planned with a motive to understand the current changing needs of Indian prisons.
Objective: To study the pattern of drug abuse and the criminal and demographic profile of the jail inmates who were admitted at the de-addiction facility of jail.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study carried out in the Modern Central Jail at Faridkot, Punjab. A total of 66 prisoners who were being treated at the de-addiction facility. The subjects were assessed by the WHO-based ASSIST questionnaire and by the investigator-designed proforma. Result: Among the 66 subjects majority of them were men (98.4%), less than 30 years (35%), married (53%), having rural background (63.6%), and heroin dependent (87.8%), booked for illegal possession of drugs (73%), high-risk behavior (47% intravenous drug abuser). ASSIST scores indicate high Specific Substance Involvement Score and Life-time Sub - stance use Score with tobacco and opioids. Conclusion: High prevalence of intravenous drug abuse in Indian prisons is an alarming situation. The adequate management of such persons in prison, with minimizing associated risk for blood-borne infections has come up as an important issue, in the wake of rising number of arrests under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.