Jail Department, RRU Join Hands For Mental Healthcare Of 42,000 Inmates In Bhopal

Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh: In a bid to tackle the mental health concerns of approximately 42,000 inmates across prisons and correctional centers in the state, the jail department has collaborated with Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU). Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services Varun Kapoor confirmed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with RRU on Thursday.

He elaborated, "While we possess dedicated in-house hospitals and dispensaries for the physical well-being of our 42,000-plus inmates, these facilities do not address mental health. Currently, only one psychological counsellor exists at Bhopal Central Jail, leaving the mental health challenges of inmates largely unmet."

Kapoor highlighted the necessity of psychological screening for every inmate, especially those housed in Class 9 institutions meant for severely mentally challenged individuals. The collaboration with RRU aims to address this gap by deploying a team of forensic and clinical psychologists to conduct psychological assessments. Noorin Choudhary, director and associate professor at RRU-Gandhinagar School of Behavioural Sciences and Forensic Investigations, elaborated on the plan, stating, "Our seasoned psychologists will employ the successful model we have implemented in other partner states to identify inmates requiring psychological care."

Choudhary added that should psychological interventions fail to resolve inmates' mental health issues, they may be referred to specialized psychiatric and mental healthcare facilities in referral hospitals.