Telangana Prisons Mark Drug Abuse Awareness Day with Rehabilitation Focus

Hyderabad: On Thursday, the Telangana Prisons and Correctional Services Department marked Drug Abuse Awareness Day in facilities across the state, coinciding with Anti-Drug Awareness Week and the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

The observance featured awareness and rehabilitation initiatives aimed at helping inmates understand the consequences of substance abuse. Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services Dr. Soumya Mishra, IPS, oversaw the programmes with an emphasis on fostering healthy lifestyles and strengthening rehabilitation support systems for incarcerated individuals.

At Central Prison in Hyderabad, Dr. Mishra unveiled the Nivrutti De-Addiction Centre's official logo, signalling the department's dedication to rehabilitation, recovery and reintegration into society. She also launched anti-drug awareness wall posters designed to inform inmates, staff and visitors about prevention, treatment and recovery pathways.

Prisons statewide organised a range of activities including counselling sessions, motivational addresses, awareness campaigns, cultural programmes, pledge ceremonies and interactive forums. These initiatives aimed to address drug abuse prevention and support recovery efforts. The department highlighted the work of Nivrutti De-Addiction Centres operating at Central Prisons in Hyderabad, Cherlapalli, Nizamabad and Sangareddy, as well as the Special Prison for Women in Hyderabad.

Between mid-July 2025 and mid-June 2026, the four de-addiction centres received 15,645 prison admissions. Screening for substance use disorders was completed for 12,675 inmates—representing 81.02 per cent of admissions—upon entry. Among those screened, 4,200 inmates were identified with substance dependence and provided treatment and rehabilitation services.

Over the same period, the department delivered 4,100 individual counselling sessions, 1,150 follow-up counselling sessions, 507 psychoeducation and group therapy sessions, and 317 awareness programmes. The centres also completed 550 post-release follow-up interactions via telephone counselling to sustain recovery efforts and aid social reintegration.

Prison officials, counsellors, medical staff and inmates participated in the day's activities, taking the Anti-Drug Pledge to recommit to drug-free living. Inspector General of Prisons N. Murali Babu and Central Prison Hyderabad Superintendent N. Shiva Kumar Goud attended the event.

On June 26, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and Turn Your Concern Into Action Foundation will collaborate with the Punjab Prisons Department to conduct a national consultation titled "Drugs, HIV and Prison Health Responses," marking the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

Dr. Soumya Mishra will attend on behalf of Telangana, presenting the state's best practices from the Nivrutti De-Addiction Centres. Her presentation will encompass screening protocols, treatment approaches, counselling frameworks, continuity-of-care models and social reintegration strategies. DIG Prisons M. Sampath is also scheduled to participate in the consultation.