Taking suo motu cognizance of drug dependence among jail inmates, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has called for an affidavit from the Additional Director-General of Police (Prisons) giving jail-wise details of inmates undergoing opioid-assisted treatment.The Bench of Acting Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor also made Punjab Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and Additional Director General of Police (Prisons) a party to the PIL based on a report dated June 23 submitted by the Administrative Judge of the Mansa Sessions Division.The directions assume significance in view of the figures placed before the Bench by the Administrative Judge.Among other things, the report said 530 of the 767 inmates in the jail—approximately 69 per cent—were registered with the Out-Patient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) Clinic established within the jail premises.The Administrative Judge noted that this indicated “a significant prevalence of drug addiction among the inmates”.Taking up the matter, the Bench also directed the State to spell out the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) governing registration of jail inmates with the OOAT Clinic.“The State shall further clarify the standard operating procedures (SOPs) governing the registration of jail inmates with the OOAT Clinic. It shall also be clarified as to how the objective of normalizing these jail inmates and tapering them off from the drugs is proposed to be achieved,” the Bench directed, while granting the State 10 days for filing the affidavit.The Bench, at the onset, observed that the PIL was registered by the Court on its own motion on the basis of the June 23 report by the Administrative Judge noticing that “a large number of jail inmates, being drug addicts, are administered upon Buprenorphine (2 mg) in combination with Naloxone (0.5 mg). The dosage prescribed ranges from one to four tablets, depending upon their medical condition and treatment requirements”.The report also raised three specific concerns regarding such inmates: their de-addiction and follow-up after release from jail; whether they were actually de-addicted and merged in the normal stream of life; and whether young inmates were being provided assistance by counsellors and psychiatrists.The Administrative Judge also stressed the need for collection and assessment of data regarding the treatment. The report called for figures showing how many individuals, including jail inmates, had successfully completed treatment with Buprenorphine-Naloxone and reached the discontinuation phase.It observed that if a person undergoing opioid-assisted treatment was unable to reach that phase, “it may indicate ongoing opioid dependence, which can lead to various mental health disorders.”The report also called for data on the availability of treatment-related support in jails as well as private clinics providing opioid-assisted treatment, including “qualified psychiatrists, nurses, and psychosocial support services”.Before parting with the order, the Bench added: “The State shall further clarify whether any rehabilitation center or de-addiction facility exists for such inmates. It shall also be disclosed as to how the State of Punjab proposes to extend support to such inmates once they are released from Jail so that they do not fall in the same cycle of drug abuse. It shall also be clarified as to how many of drug dependent inmates were not used to of the tablets mentioned at the time when they were lodged in the Jail”.The Court also appointed advocate Tanu Bedi as amicus curiae to assist it in the PIL and “explore ameliorative steps to be taken for the betterment of such jail inmates in the State of Punjab”. The matter will now come up for further hearing on September 1.