Faridkot: A total of 1064 prisoners out of 2333 locked in the modern Faridkot jail of the district were found to be positive in a dope test conducted last week. The report released yesterday reveals that it accounts for over 45 percent of the inmates being in possession of drugs inside the jail, including women.
The dope test was conducted in view of the continuous complaints of a non-stop supply of drugs in the jail. The government, in order to tackle the drug addiction problem in jails, ordered a dope test to be carried out to ascertain the number of under-trials and convicts addicted to drugs.
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A senior psychiatrist and two medical professionals are available at the outpatient opd-assisted treatment (OOAT) centers and all the new drug addicts will be treated after counseling. Dr. Sanjay Kapoor Civil Surgeon associated with the dope test said, "We are going to provide medical assistance to all other jail inmates who have tested positive at the OOAT center in the jail". It is alleged that many jail staff members are involved in supplying drugs to the inmates. On Wednesday itself, an ASI of Moga was arrested for peddling drugs in the jail.
About seven years ago, the Akali-BJP coalition government took drastic steps to break the supply line of drugs in the jail, due to which the condition of many prisoners and convicts in the jail became even more miserable. Approximately 70 prisoners died due to the lack of drugs. To tackle the situation of drug menace in jails, a free screening drive for identifying substance abuse among prisoners at OOAT centers run by the state government was initiated last month. There are about 725 inmates and under-trials registered in the OOAT center run by the Health Department inside the jail, who are receiving medication for anti-drug addiction.
