Screen inmates’ mental health to prevent in-prison suicides, NHRC recommends

NEW DELHI — The NHRC has suggested screening inmates’ mental health at the time of admission and constant monitoring of at-risk prisoners to bring down instances of suicides among them.

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

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said it has observed that most of the unnatural deaths of prisoners occur due to suicide.

In an advisory issued to the central and state governments and the Union Territories, the NHRC emphasised 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.

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

The commission gave the suggestions in a letter which was also sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Bureau of Police Research and Development, and all Director General-Prisons.

NHRC Secretary General, Devendra Kumar Singh, also sought an ‘Action Taken Report’ within three months on the recommendations.

In all, the central body highlighted 11 points for the agencies to follow, some of which were augmenting prison staff strength, their training, screening inmates’ mental health at the admission stage, monitoring at-risk prisoners, and keeping their addiction in check.

The NHRC also suggested prison authorities to keep abrasive and corrosive chemicals used for cleaning toilets beyond the reach of prisoners and to keep ropes, glass, wooden ladders, pipes, etc in its custody.

It recommended that the jail authorities must regularly check bed sheets and blankets of inmates to ensure they are not used to make ropes for suicide and also identify places where it can be done.

“Mental health screening be included in the initial health screening report of every prisoner. 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,” it said.

It recommended training the jail staff in each barrack in administering CPR and first aid, and assigning a prisoner ‘buddy’ for any eventuality.

“There should be measures to tackle the issue of addiction among prisoners … undertaken by regular visits of mental health care professionals and de-addiction experts,” the letter said.

It also suggested using the Gatekeeper Model, devised by the World Health Organization (WHO), which involves training select inmates to identify suicide-prone prisoners.