Mumbai: On Tuesday, a Family Help Desk initiative was started on a pilot basis to help women prisoners in the Mumbai District Women's Jail. This project was conceptualized by Yogesh Desai, Deputy Inspector of Prisons, South Division, Mumbai, in collaboration with an NGO. Its objective is to provide welfare to children of female convicts and psychological support to female inmates.
The Family Help Desk was inaugurated by DIG Prisons Yogesh Desai along with other prison officials and NGO officials. "The main objective behind this initiative is to help women and children in prisons. The objective is also to conduct various sessions with female inmates to understand the educational and financial difficulties related for the welfare of their children. The objective behind this is to remove the difficulties of interviewing, e-interviewing, phone facility, and legal assistance of women prisoners," said a Prisons department official.
He added, "In addition to the above, necessary efforts will be made to ensure children's continued education and ensure that children live in a safe environment and bond between children and parents. Social workers and counselors have been appointed through the social organization and efforts will be made to collect their information to understand the problems and resolve the said problems with the consent of the prison administration. If the organization faces any problem in solving the problems, with the permission of the Superintendent, efforts will be made to solve the problems by taking the help of other organizations."
"The Family Help Desk at the Mumbai District Women's Jail will be a flagship initiative aimed at ensuring the welfare of children of women incarcerated and providing necessary support to their mothers. This comprehensive approach will not only meet the immediate needs but will surely help in bridging the gap between bans and children," the official said, adding that several initiatives have been undertaken by the Prisons department under the leadership of Additional Director General of Police, Prisons, Amitabh Gupta in recent times.
