B. C onclusion and Recommendations and convicts makes for a mentally unhealthy environment.155 Jail security guards treat detainees as criminals, thus subjecting them to extreme mental duress.156 Detainees have complained of poor food quality, resorting to hunger strikes inside the centres.157 Further, several personal items (such as blankets) have to be shared by detainees due to shortage. This leads to the spread of skin diseases, which has been identified as a common illness at Goalpara District Jail.158 Other issues within detention centres include shortage of medical supplies,159 handcuffing of detainee patients,160 poor water quality,161 etc. The chapter is organised into four sections. Section I looks at the at the blanket prohibition against arbitrary detention of stateless and precarious citizens. It hinges upon two principles – the right not to be arbitrarily detained and the right against indefinite detention. Developing this further, Section II discusses the benefits of alternatives to detention for stateless persons in India and provides examples of good practices around the world. Section III explores the procedural and substantive rights of persons who are detained for deportation on the presumption of a legitimate purpose with special focus on precarious citizens in Assam. Lastly, Section IV describes the supplementary rights of children in detention who are stateless or at the verge of statelessness in the context of international treaty obligations and Indian constitutional law. 155 Amnesty International, ‘Between Fear and Hatred: Surviving Migration Detention in Assam’ (n 153). 156 ibid. 157 Sangeeta Pisharoty, ‘Bad Food, Hunger Strikes: What Life Is Like If You’re Not On Assam’s NRC List’ (Huffpost, 21 August 2019) <www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/bad-food-hunger-strikes-detention-centreassam-nrc_in_5d5a398ae4b0eb875f25e5b4> accessed 6 July 2020. 158 Studio Nilima, ‘Report Of Visit To District Jail, Goalpara’ (Studio Nilima, 2019) <http://studionilima. com/pdf/ReportonGoalparaJailVisit.pdf> accessed 5 July 2020. 159 ibid. 160 Amnesty International, ‘Between Fear and Hatred: Surviving Migration Detention in Assam’ (n 153). 161 Studio Nilima, ‘Report Of Visit To District Jail, Goalpara’ (n 158). chapter ii • detention 101 101 SECTION III.