Haryana Prisons in Crisis: SHRC Probes Suicides and Violence

CHANDIGARH: The Haryana State Human Rights Commission is sounding the alarm on a humanitarian disaster unfolding in state prisons. Taking independent notice of NCRB’s latest prison data for 2024, the body has summoned reports from top officials on the alarming rise of suicides in custody and brutal jailhouse clashes. Haryana’s 15 unnatural custodial deaths this year, every one a suicide, coupled with weaponized internal fights, distinguish it as India’s most troubled penal system.

Under Justice Lalit Batra (Retd.), with Kuldeep Jain and Deep Bhatia, the commission’s order is a clarion call. It lambasts overcrowding, mental breakdowns, violent scuffles, and the absence of proper counseling as direct violations of Article 21 rights – the fundamental guarantee of life, health, and mental care for all, prisoners included.

The bench outlined actionable safeguards: prompt psych interventions, ongoing therapy, psychiatric check-ups, emotional recovery programs, effective grievance channels, family linkages, and detox therapies to curb suicide rates. Referencing Haryana Jail Rules 2022 (Rules 299-300), it demanded strict adherence to anti-suicide protocols and monitoring of high-risk individuals.

Revelations from prior audits, especially at Kurukshetra District Jail, are damning: female inmates endure monthly counseling lapses, fueling isolation and despair. This order places Haryana under scrutiny, urging a holistic fix to prison woes.

Rights advocates praise the SHRC’s initiative, viewing it as a blueprint for accountability. With the report deadline looming, the state faces pressure to implement reforms that prioritize inmate welfare, potentially averting a deeper crisis and restoring faith in correctional justice.