Death rate up, jails to get ‘suicide watchers’

Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 11

The Punjab Prisons is training a unique squad of “suicide watchers” as a study of suicides between 2017 and 2019 found that nearly 42 per cent of the victims died by suicide within a month of incarceration. Fifteen per cent could not last even 48 hours in jail.

The squad comprising jail staff and senior inmates (convicts only) will keep a watch on new entrants in the jails or those showing symptoms of serious depression and anxiety that can lead to suicide.

53 end life in 3 yrs

• A recent study reveals that with 13 suicides in 2017 and 27 in 2018, Punjab reported maximum cases in the country
• In 2019, Punjab was second on the chart with 13 deaths, while UP (20) reported maximum cases

Upneet Lalli, Deputy Director, Institute of Correctional Administration, conducted the study “Suicides in Punjab Prisons: Causative Factors and Preventive Strategies”. Training “suicide watchers” was one of the recommendations, while the study also asked the government to appoint full time psychologists/counsellors in jails to prevent the incidents.

The study was conducted on cases occurring in the crucial period of 2017-19.

In the three-year study period, only one female died by suicide. “When a state holds a person in custody, it assures full responsibility and is held accountable for deaths that take place,” says the study, putting the onus on the jail officials to prevent inmates from taking the extreme step. ADGP-Prisons PK Sinha said the process to implement the recommendations had started.

Youngsters are more prone to suicide, the study reveals. Nearly 54 per cent of the victims aged between 25 and 35 years. Hanging in the bathroom or the barrack was the only way chosen by all the victims. The decision was taken during the hours when the person is lonelier, between midnight and 10 am and 2-4 pm.

First-time inmates were more susceptible to ending their life. The study found 71 per cent of the victims had no prior history of arrest. Almost 79 per cent had rural background and the majority was held for drug smuggling. “The first few days of entry into prison are considered very crucial as prisoners undergo shock and are unable to cope with prison environment. It is here that an intervention is required,” Lalli said.

Lalli said the government has to take corrective measures to curb suicides. “It was shocking to find that inquest reports on suicides were not shared with the jail departments. Also, there was no mechanism for mental health assessment of a new inmate,” she said.