The recent detection of 38 HIV-positive inmates at Guwahati Central Jail has put the spotlight on the prison’s health safeguards and internal vigilance. The 38 inmates include 33 men and five women, with their detection raising fresh questions over the circumstances surrounding the infections.

A majority of those affected are prisoners accused in cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, adding another layer of concern to the situation inside the overcrowded jail. The facility currently houses around 1,802 prisoners against a sanctioned capacity of 1,400, of whom 281 are lodged in connection with NDPS cases.

The figures have raised an uncomfortable question - is drug use the main driver behind the spread of HIV among inmates, or were many of the affected prisoners already carrying the infection when they entered the jail. For the prison administration, the distinction matters.

According to a jail official, the 38 inmates in question have a history of drug use, and whether they continue to use it inside the jail premises "is not clear". " Yes, they have a history of drug abuse as they are convicted under NDPS Act but whether they use it inside the premises, is not clear," the official told The Assam Tribune, requesting anonymity.

The official further said new inmates are screened for HIV, hepatitis and other health conditions after admission, and those found to require treatment are provided medical care. Prisoners battling drug addiction are also given therapy.

" Once they are brought to the jail, health authorities screen them for HIV, hepatitis and other conditions. Those who test positive are provided treatment, while those struggling with drug addiction are given therapy and medical support," the official said.

Even so, the detection of 38 HIV-positive inmates has inevitably led to questions about if the infection is spreading, and whether drug use inside the prison could be playing a role. Officials said one suspected possibility is the use of contaminated needles among drug users, though this remains a suspicion rather than an established cause.

That suspicion opens up a harder question - if drugs are being used inside the prison, how are they getting in. A former prisoner of the jail said the availability of drugs inside the jail is difficult to establish conclusively, but the possibility cannot be dismissed.

" There are prisoners who use drugs. Whether it is alcohol or some other substance, people somehow manage to get access to them, but it is difficult to say exactly how," he said.