Thirty correctional personnel from prisons across Madhya Pradesh have completed a week-long capacity-building programme under ‘Project PRAHARI’ to strengthen the identification and management of psychological distress among inmates at the Regional Jail Management & Research Institute in Bhopal.
The programme, titled PRAHARI: Psychological Risk Assessment, Health Awareness and Resilience Initiative, was organised by Global Correctional Administration Studies (GCAS) under the School of Behavioural Sciences and Forensic Investigations (SBSFI) at Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU), in collaboration with the Madhya Pradesh Jail Headquarters.
“The initiative was conducted under the leadership of RRU Vice-Chancellor Prof (Dr) Bimal Patel, with support from Madhya Pradesh Director General of Prisons Dr Varun Kapoor, and guidance from Dr Noorin Chaudhary, Director of the School of Behavioural Sciences and Forensic Investigation,” officials said.
It focused on enhancing the capacity of prison personnel while supporting the rehabilitation, reintegration and reformation of persons in custody.
Participants received training in identifying psychological distress and risk indicators, including depression, anxiety, suicidal behaviour, substance dependence and behavioural warning signs.
The programme also covered risk triage, trauma-informed crisis communication, de-escalation techniques, suicide prevention strategies, documentation, referral protocols, officer wellbeing, vicarious trauma and burnout prevention.
The concluding session was attended by Dr Varun Kapoor; M.R. Patel, Deputy Inspector General, Jail Headquarters, Madhya Pradesh; Manendra Singh Parihar, Jail Superintendent, Central Jail, Bhopal; and Dinesh Imlay, Administrative Officer of the Regional Jail Management & Research Institute.
Also present were Dr Rakesh Singh Kunwar, Campus Director of the RRU Bhopal Campus; Dr Geetesh Kumar Singh, Project Director, GCAS; and Mahima Gupta, Clinical Psychologist at SBSFI.
Addressing the participants, Dr Kapoor stressed the need to promote mental health for both correctional staff and persons in custody.
“While many individuals experiencing psychological distress are identified and receive appropriate support, others remain unrecognised and are deprived of essential mental health services,” he said.
He noted that correctional staff, because of their close and continuous interaction with inmates, are well placed to recognise early warning signs of psychological distress, suicidal behaviour, substance dependence and other mental health concerns.
He urged participants to apply the knowledge gained during the training in their daily work, stating that the programme’s success would be measured not only by the knowledge acquired but by its practical application to improve the well-being of both persons in custody and prison personnel.
Dr Kapoor also commended Rashtriya Raksha University’s Project PRAHARI for promoting mental health awareness, strengthening resilience and equipping prison staff to identify distress, provide initial responses, facilitate referrals, prevent suicide and self-harm, reduce stigma and foster psychologically safer correctional environments.
With Inputs From IANS
