Keywords: NHRC, Justice Arun Mishra, Advisory to Centre, Suicide among Prisoners
In order to decrease the number of cases of suicide and self-harm among prisoners held under judicial custody, the National Human Rights Commission has issued an advisory to the administrations of the central, state, and UT.
The advisory focuses on eleven key areas, including training prison staff and inmates, screening the prisoners for mental illness at the time of admission, supervising and monitoring at-risk patients, identifying inmate cases of addiction, improving prison architecture, bolstering the visitor system, etc.
The commission, headed by Justice (Retd.) Arun Mishra found that suicide constitutes the most unnatural death. As a result, the commission advised the administration to prioritize the welfare of prisoners and keep their surroundings free of any items that might be used by them to harm themselves or commit suicide.[1]
The commission has also placed importance on promoting phone calls and in-person visits from the prisoners’ families. They have requested that abrasive substances like acids and phenyls be kept out of the prisoners’ reach, as well as maintenance tools like ropes and glass. The commission recommended hiring replacements for any vacant positions on the prison staff in order to ensure the effective function of the prison administration.
The Commission has requested that the advisory’s recommendations be put into practice and that an Action Taken Report be submitted within three months.
Written by- Satyanshu Sharma, College name- Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala Semester- 2ndAn intern under Legal Vidhiya
[1] LIVELAW, https://www.livelaw.in/news-updates/nhrc-issues-advisory-centre-states-uts-curb-deliberate-self-harm-suicide-attempts-prisoners-231200?infinitescroll=1 (24TH June, 2023).
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