NHRC Directs for Screening Jail Inmate's Mental Health to Prevent Suicides and Improving Prison Environment [Read Press Release]

NEW DELHI: Noting increasing number of suicides among jail inmates, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has suggested that screening of prisoners mental health at the time of admission and constant monitoring them.

The human rights body headed by Justice Arun Kumar Mishra also recommended improving prison architecture and its environment to mitigate suicide attempts by prisoners in judicial custody.

In an advisory issued to the central and state governments and the Union Territories, the NHRC stressed on keeping barracks and toilets, where most suicides take place, free of such objects as can be used for hanging, for instance, iron rods, grills, fans, and hooks.

In a letter NHRC Secretary General, Devendra Kumar Singh said that the rights panel has observed that most of the unnatural deaths of prisoners occur due to suicide. He also sought an Action Taken Report within three months on the recommendations. 

It also suggested encouraging visits by family members of the prisoner and/or at least phone talk to keep inmates off the edge.

It emphasised on the need to mitigate deliberate self-harm and suicide attempts by prisoners in judicial custody. 

The Advisory has focused on eleven key areas for action by the Centre, States, and UT Administrations. These include: Filing up the vacancies and augmenting the staff strength, Training Prison staff and prisoners, screening their mental health at the admission stage, Supervision and monitoring at-risk prisoners, creating a collaborative framework for mitigation, issue of addiction among prisoners, Compliance with the relevant statutory provision, prison housekeeping, strengthening visitor system and improving prison architecture & its environment.

Some of the other important recommendations are as follows:

1. Abrasive and corrosive chemicals, such as phenyls, acids, etc., used for cleaning toilets and surfaces, to be beyond the reach of prisoners;

2. Tools used for building maintenance, such as ropes, glass, wooden ladders, pipes, etc., are to be kept in the safe custody of the concerned Prison staff; 

3. Regular check and vigil on bed sheets and blankets of inmates be exercised to ensure that these are not used to make ropes, etc to attempt suicide;

4. The place/area in Prison prone to such acts be identified and corrective actions, including installations of CCTVs, be ensured;

5. Mental health screening be included in the initial health screening report of every prisoner;

6. Existing vacancies of Prison staff should be filled up particularly those of Prison Welfare Officers, Probation Officers, Psychologists, and Medical Staff and the strength should be suitably augmented to include Mental Health professionals;

7. A component of mental health literacy must be included in the basic training of Prison staff with periodical refresher courses;

8. Selected Prison staff in each Prison barrack be trained in providing Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation & First Aid (CPR), particularly for handling attempted hanging, bleeding through self-inflicted cuts, or on ingesting toxic substances;

9. Regular observation by Prison staff and assignment of a prisoner 'buddy', trained in psychological first aid;

10. Adequate number of telephones for contact with friends or family of the prisoner to be ensured in accordance with relevant regulations;

11. Family members of the at-risk inmates must be contacted to give them the required assurance, counseling, and mental support; their visits should be encouraged to provide emotional support to the prisoners;

12. Gatekeeper Model: (devised by the World Health Organization, WHO), to strengthen mental health care in Prisons be implemented for training of carefully selected inmates to identify prisoners at risk of suicide;

13. Measures to tackle the issue of addiction among prisoners be undertaken by regular visits of mental health care professionals and de-addition experts;

14. Prisoners must be provided with life-skill-based education and activities like yoga, sports, crafts, drama, music, dance, and suitable spiritual and optional religious instructions to channelize their energies positively and occupy their time. This can be done with the help of reputed NGOs if required;

15. The facilities for up-skilling, vocational guidance, and means for financial independence to be increased. Long terms skilled prisoners may be linked with government schemes for entrepreneurship.

[Read Press Release]