Karnataka prisons to introduce drug tests for inmates to curb smuggling of narcotic substances

In a bid to curb the use of narcotic substances inside prisons, the Karnataka Prisons Department has decided to conduct drug tests for inmates across all prisons in the State.

The move comes after repeated instances of drugs being smuggled into the prisons. On March 9, an attempt was reported at Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, where a staff member allegedly tried to bring narcotic substances into the jail.

According to officials, a similar incident was reported at the Ramanagara prison where an inmate, who had been lodged in the jail about 12 days earlier, was caught while attempting to smuggle ganja concealed in his sleeves. The inmate initially tried to mislead the prison authorities, claiming he had quit drugs long ago and that the smuggling attempt was accidental. However, a medical examination later confirmed that he was under the influence of narcotics.

Alok Kumar
| Photo Credit:
FILE PHOTO

Taking note of such incidents, Director General of Prisons Alok Kumar decided to introduce systematic drug testing for inmates across prisons in the State. “The idea of identifying drug addicts in the prisons and containing the supply chain is to help prevent crimes linked to the drug menace in society. This initiative is probably the second-of-its-kind in the country after Punjab,” said Mr. Kumar.

Under the initiative, inmates will be tested for substances such as ganja, heroin and cocaine. In the first phase, a group of prisoners in all jails will undergo screening. The tests will be conducted by prison medical officers using special kits provided by the department, with technical support from National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru.

Officials said, “The testing exercise is aimed at identifying the types of drugs being consumed and understanding the pattern of substance abuse within prisons so that appropriate measures can be taken.”

During the ongoing process, about 20 inmates reportedly refused to undergo the tests, while some others were found attempting to manipulate the results by diluting urine samples with water.

The officials clarified that inmates who test positive for drug consumption would not face criminal cases. Instead, they would be offered counselling and medical treatment. “Prisoners found to be severely addicted will be admitted to hospitals for de-addiction therapy,” the officials added.

The central prison also has a 40-bed de-addiction centre dedicated to the rehabilitation of inmates.

The officials said that the programme aims to adopt a holistic approach that includes identifying addicts, tracking the chain of drug supply into prisons, and rehabilitating inmates in stages through counselling and treatment.

The initiative is modelled on a similar programme implemented in Punjab and has been designed to be carried out systematically across Karnataka prisons.

Meanwhile, the prisons department has registered around 200 cases related to smuggling of banned items, including mobile phones, into jails.

Police have launched a probe into these cases to identify the sources behind the smuggling and their possible links to criminal activities, though no major breakthroughs have been reported so far.