Karnal, Dec. 28 -- Haryana Director General of Prisons, Alok Kumar Roy, inspected the Karnal jail and underscored the importance of counselling for prisoners and their mental health.

Responding to a question about the repeated suicide incidents amongst the prisoners, he stated that there are counsellors available in the jail, as many of the convicted felons become depressed after coming here, which could lead to such incidents.

He added that many crimes are committed by individuals with no prior criminal history. When they get sent to jail for punishment, it takes a toll on them mentally, leading to severe depression.

He supported his claim with a statistic, saying, "Around 60 to 70 per cent of people in jail are not habitual criminals...