Mumbai: To curb the stress level of inmates in Arthur Road and Mumbai Central Jail, a counselling session or a mental health initiative was organised by the jail authorities with the help of an Non-governmental organisation.
On December 24, around 350 inmates from barrack number 11 inside Arthur road jail were counselled by the authorities. The barrack 11 includes inmates arrested under section 302 (punishment for murder) of the Indian penal code. The counselling sessions were organised with the help of an NGO called Project Mumbai.
NB. Vayachal, Superintendent of Arthur Road jail said, "We had carried out two counselling sessions. Where one was held last week and the second session was held on Thursday. Counseling of inmates was mandatory and we were not getting counsellors or psychiatrists for the same. However, with the help of ADG, Prison and Project Mumbai it started successfully and received a good response," he added.
It was the first such counselling session organised across Maharashtra prison under the guidance of Atul Kulkarni, Additional Director General of Police, Prison.
Shishir Joshi CEO and founder of Project Mumbai an NGO said, "Initially we first held the counseling for a group of inmates. Many questions and doubts were raised by the inmates. Now in future as per the doubt and questions we will hold a personal session for the inmates," added Joshi saying we trained them how to spend time if they are bored. "Should not get hyper or angry and how to stay calm in any situation," he added.
Sources from the Maharashtra jail said with no courts and meeting with relatives was possible during the pandemic. "Many inmates were under stress, as what will happen to them. Staying in four walls and not getting any details of the outside world was resulting in increasing their stress level. However, the counseling session trained them how to be calm and live their life," said the official.
Vayachal further added the counseling session will see a drastic change in the mental health of the inmates. "A three member team will conduct the session in two parts. In the first part a group orientation with any one barrack, which will be for about fifty minutes. This will be followed by the counsellors being available for one to one guidance if any inmates want counselling. The team will be available for the one to one sessions. However, counselors will be visiting twice a week and psychiatrists will be visiting once or twice in a month as per requirement in the jail," he added.
An official from the prison said, "From next week we will start two barracks simultaneously. Two on Wednesday and two on Friday. And the session will help give counseling sessions to each and every inmate. Arthur road presently has around 3,500 inmates," added the official.
