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Project PRAHARI trains Madhya Pradesh prison staff in mental health

One-week mental health training programme for Madhya Pradesh prison staff concludes in Bhopal

A week-long training programme aimed at helping prison staff recognise mental health problems, respond to people in crisis and improve their own wellbeing has concluded at the Regional Jail Management and Research Institute in Bhopal. The initiative brought together 30 correctional officers from prisons across Madhya Pradesh and focused on strengthening mental health support inside the state’s correctional system.

The programme, called PRAHARI, short for 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 at Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU). It was held in partnership with the Madhya Pradesh Jail Headquarters as part of efforts to improve the skills of prison staff and support the rehabilitation and safe management of people in custody.

The training was conducted under the leadership of Prof. (Dr.) Bimal N. Patel, Vice Chancellor of Rashtriya Raksha University. It received support from Dr Varun Kapoor, IPS, Director General of Prisons, Madhya Pradesh, and was guided by Dr Noorin Chaudhary, Director of the School of Behavioural Sciences and Forensic Investigations.

During the programme, participants received practical instruction on recognising signs of depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, substance dependence and other forms of psychological distress. Sessions also covered behavioural warning signs, risk assessment, trauma-informed communication, crisis de-escalation, suicide prevention, documentation, referral procedures and ways to reduce stress and burnout among correctional staff.

Mental health has become an increasingly important issue for prison systems around the world. International organisations, including the World Health Organisation and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, have repeatedly reported that mental health conditions occur more frequently among prison populations than in the general public. Many people entering prisons already have untreated mental illnesses, while the pressures of incarceration can worsen existing conditions or contribute to new ones. Experts have also drawn attention to the psychological strain experienced by prison officers, whose work often involves managing high-risk situations and people facing severe emotional distress.

The closing event was attended by several senior officials from the Madhya Pradesh prison administration. Among them were Dr Varun Kapoor, IPS, Director General of Prisons, Madhya Pradesh; M. R. Patel, Deputy Inspector General of Jail Headquarters, Madhya Pradesh; Manendra Singh Parihar, Jail Superintendent of Central Jail, Bhopal; and Dinesh Imlay, Administrative Officer of the Regional Jail Management and Research Institute.

Representatives from Rashtriya Raksha University also took part in the programme. These included Dr Rakesh Singh Kunwar, Campus Director of the RRU Bhopal Campus, Dr Geetesh Kumar Singh, Project Director of GCAS, and Mahima Gupta, Clinical Psychologist at the School of Behavioural Sciences and Forensic Investigations. The participants acknowledged the joint effort between the university and the state prison department to strengthen mental health services within correctional facilities.

Speaking to the participants, Dr Varun Kapoor stressed that mental health support should benefit both prison staff and people in custody. He pointed out that although many prisoners experiencing psychological distress are identified and receive appropriate care, others remain unnoticed and therefore miss access to essential mental health services.

He said correctional officers are in a unique position because they interact closely with people in custody every day. According to Dr Kapoor, this places them in the best position to identify early warning signs of psychological distress, suicidal behaviour, substance dependence and other mental health concerns before they become more serious.

Encouraging participants to use the skills gained during the course, Dr Kapoor said, **”He observed that while many persons in custody experiencing psychological distress are identified and receive appropriate support, others remain unrecognised and are consequently deprived of essential mental health services.”**

He added, **”He urged participants to apply the knowledge and skills acquired during the training in real-world correctional settings, observing that the success of the programme lies not in the acquisition of knowledge alone but in its translation into practical interventions that improve the wellbeing of persons in custody and prison personnel alike.”**

Dr Kapoor also extended his best wishes to the participants and praised Rashtriya Raksha University’s Project PRAHARI. The initiative seeks to strengthen mental health awareness and resilience in correctional institutions by training staff to identify emotional distress, recognise warning signs, provide an initial response, make timely referrals for professional care, prevent suicide and self-harm, reduce stigma surrounding mental illness and create safer working and living conditions inside prisons.

Rashtriya Raksha University, established as an Institution of National Importance by an Act of Parliament in 2020, focuses on education, research and training in national security, policing, criminal justice and related disciplines. In recent years, the university has expanded programmes covering behavioural sciences, forensic investigations and correctional administration, reflecting growing recognition that prison management extends beyond security and includes healthcare, rehabilitation and reintegration.

Across India, several state prison departments have introduced reforms that place greater emphasis on counselling, psychiatric care, vocational training and rehabilitation programmes. Mental health experts have argued that early identification of psychological distress can improve safety inside prisons, reduce incidents of self-harm and violence, and support successful reintegration after release. Training frontline prison personnel to recognise mental health concerns is increasingly seen as an important part of these wider reforms.

The completion of the PRAHARI programme in Bhopal represents another step in that direction. By equipping correctional staff with practical knowledge on mental health, crisis response and personal resilience, the programme aims to strengthen everyday prison management while improving support for both officers and people in custody.