The move comes after repeated cases of drugs being smuggled into prisons. | Photo credit: FILE PHOTO
In a bid to curb the use of narcotics in jails, the Karnataka Prisons Department has decided to conduct drug tests on inmates in all jails in the state.
The move comes after repeated cases of drugs being smuggled into prisons. On March 9, an attempt was reported at the Parappana Agrahara Central Jail where an employee allegedly tried to smuggle narcotics into the jail.
According to officials, a similar incident was reported in Ramanagara jail, where an inmate who was lodged in the jail about 12 days ago was caught trying to smuggle ganja hidden in his sleeves. The inmate initially tried to mislead the prison authorities, claiming that he had stopped using drugs a long time ago and that the smuggling attempt was accidental. However, a medical examination later confirmed that he was under the influence of narcotics.
Alok Kumar | Photo credit: FILE PHOTO
In view of these incidents, Director General of Prisons Alok Kumar has decided to introduce systematic drug testing of inmates across prisons in the state. “The idea of identifying drug addicts in jails and curbing the supply chain is to help prevent crimes related to drug menace in the society. This initiative is probably the second of its kind in the country after Punjab,” Kumar said.
As part of the initiative, inmates will be tested for substances such as ganja, heroin and cocaine. In the first phase, a group of prisoners in all prisons will be screened. The tests will be conducted by jail doctors using special kits provided by the technical support department of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru.
Officials said: “The testing exercise is aimed at identifying the types of drugs being consumed and understanding the patterns of substance abuse in prisons so that appropriate action can be taken.”
During the ongoing trial, about 20 inmates reportedly refused to submit to the tests, while some others attempted to manipulate the results by diluting urine samples with water.
Officials clarified that inmates who test positive for drug use will not face criminal charges. Instead, they would be offered counseling and medical treatment. “Prisoners found to be severely addicted will be admitted to hospitals for drug addiction treatment,” the officials added.
The central prison also has a 40-bed rehab center dedicated to the rehabilitation of inmates.
Officials said the program aims to adopt a holistic approach that includes identifying addicts, tracking the supply chain of drugs into prisons and gradually rehabilitating inmates through counseling and treatment.
The initiative is based on a similar program implemented in Punjab and has been designed to be systematically implemented in Karnataka prisons.
Meanwhile, the prison department is registering around 200 cases related to smuggling of prohibited items, including mobile phones, into prisons.
Police have launched investigations into these cases to identify the sources behind the smuggling and their possible links to criminal activities, although no major breakthroughs have been reported so far.
Published – 14 March 2026 21:13 IST
