Drug dependancy: Punjab govt to survey 14,000 jail inmates to precise causes

Express News Service

CHANDIGARH: For the primary time in historical past, a survey of roughly 14,000 jail inmates will
be carried out throughout Punjab so as to know the precise causes of drug dependancy and to plan efficient anti-drug intervention packages. At current round 46 per cent of prisoners within the state are hooked on medicine. Out of 30,000 prisoners, 14,000 examined constructive for medicine.

The survey got here as a follow-up to a drug screening undertaking of the jail division. It will begin from Monday (September 12) in all of the twenty-five jails throughout the state. 350 volunteers (college students of assorted universities and establishments) have been engaged to finish the aim inside twelve days’ time span.

Renowned educationists and professors of Punjabi University, ISB Mohali and DAV collage Sector 10 have been roped in as analysis committee members to organize the questionnaire in collaboration with officers of the Punjab prisons division and Special Task Force on Drugs (STF), together with Dr Ranbir Singh de-addiction professional and co-founder of OOAT program.

The survey can be in coded format to maintain it confidential and the prisoner’s identification won’t be revealed. During the interview jail officers will stay at an inexpensive distance and allow the interviewee to offer their responses with out apprehension whereas retaining commentary over them. The jail officers have additionally been instructed to concern identification playing cards to interviewers and sensitised to make sure that the interviewers are made safe and comfy in every jail.

The identification of the prisoner shall be saved nameless as every prisoner can be allotted a particular code quantity for this goal. During the survey, the jail division is making it positive that the identification of the prisoners is just not revealed when they’re requested the questions and the solutions are recorded by the interviewer.

The questionnaire will comprise 85 questions based mostly on components (each inside and outdoors jail) which can have a considerable impression on the dependancy or de-addiction standing of the prisoners. These components embody geographical components, psycho-social components, socio-economic components, policing, jail particular and de-addiction.

The questionnaire contains questions reminiscent of enhance de-addition companies in jails, how can authorities successfully detect medicine in and outdoors the jails, how they handle to get medicine within the jails and outdoors, enhance the peer help system,  how they handle when they’re unable to get medicine, how can prevention packages be made simpler and so forth.

The prisoners may even be requested about how lengthy they’ve been in jail, what number of instances they’ve come to jail and length, their revenue stage, until which class they’ve studied, what’s their occupation and the checklist is countless.

The concept of the survey was put ahead by Harpreet Singh Sidhu Special DGP (Prisons) earlier than the Punjab Jail Minister Harjit Singh Bains and the Additional Chief Secretary (Jails) KAP Sinha. It is a joint effort between the jails division and the Special Task Force on medicine (STF) which can also be headed by Sidhu.

Bains addressed the coaching program held on September 10 to encourage the scholars and employees. After the completion of the survey contained in the prisons, a related survey could be carried out amongst most people to get large-scale knowledge so as to formulate a long-term motion plan for eradicating the menace of medicine in the entire state, he added.

CHANDIGARH: For the primary time in historical past, a survey of roughly 14,000 jail inmates will
be carried out throughout Punjab so as to know the precise causes of drug dependancy and to plan efficient anti-drug intervention packages. At current round 46 per cent of prisoners within the state are hooked on medicine. Out of 30,000 prisoners, 14,000 examined constructive for medicine.

The survey got here as a follow-up to a drug screening undertaking of the jail division. It will begin from Monday (September 12) in all of the twenty-five jails throughout the state. 350 volunteers (college students of assorted universities and establishments) have been engaged to finish the aim inside twelve days’ time span.

Renowned educationists and professors of Punjabi University, ISB Mohali and DAV collage Sector 10 have been roped in as analysis committee members to organize the questionnaire in collaboration with officers of the Punjab prisons division and Special Task Force on Drugs (STF), together with Dr Ranbir Singh de-addiction professional and co-founder of OOAT program.

The survey can be in coded format to maintain it confidential and the prisoner’s identification won’t be revealed. During the interview jail officers will stay at an inexpensive distance and allow the interviewee to offer their responses with out apprehension whereas retaining commentary over them. The jail officers have additionally been instructed to concern identification playing cards to interviewers and sensitised to make sure that the interviewers are made safe and comfy in every jail.

The identification of the prisoner shall be saved nameless as every prisoner can be allotted a particular code quantity for this goal. During the survey, the jail division is making it positive that the identification of the prisoners is just not revealed when they’re requested the questions and the solutions are recorded by the interviewer.

The questionnaire will comprise 85 questions based mostly on components (each inside and outdoors jail) which can have a considerable impression on the dependancy or de-addiction standing of the prisoners. These components embody geographical components, psycho-social components, socio-economic components, policing, jail particular and de-addiction.

The questionnaire contains questions reminiscent of enhance de-addition companies in jails, how can authorities successfully detect medicine in and outdoors the jails, how they handle to get medicine within the jails and outdoors, enhance the peer help system,  how they handle when they’re unable to get medicine, how can prevention packages be made simpler and so forth.

The prisoners may even be requested about how lengthy they’ve been in jail, what number of instances they’ve come to jail and length, their revenue stage, until which class they’ve studied, what’s their occupation and the checklist is countless.

The concept of the survey was put ahead by Harpreet Singh Sidhu Special DGP (Prisons) earlier than the Punjab Jail Minister Harjit Singh Bains and the Additional Chief Secretary (Jails) KAP Sinha. It is a joint effort between the jails division and the Special Task Force on medicine (STF) which can also be headed by Sidhu.

Bains addressed the coaching program held on September 10 to encourage the scholars and employees. After the completion of the survey contained in the prisons, a related survey could be carried out amongst most people to get large-scale knowledge so as to formulate a long-term motion plan for eradicating the menace of medicine in the entire state, he added.