Understanding Mental Health Care Needs of Women Prisoners with special reference to Indian Prisons Set-Up

Women make up a rising portion of the global prison population, which presents a special challenge in front of correctional authorities to tackle the very basic physical and mental health care needs of them that is usually seen as a neglected subject in the whole catena of reformation and rehabilitation of prisoners. The mental health status of incarcerated women is affected by a myriad of factors that range from the physical conditions in which they live to the culture of the prison system and the systemic neglect they experience from within the legal system. Mental health problems among women prisoners can be in the form of distress, depression, anxiety or any other neurotic disorder and the main reasons behind all these issues especially in Indian prison system ranges from unfulfilled psycho-social needs to substance use addictions, hostile attitude of the prison administration towards mental health needs, poor sanitary conditions and lack of familial affection due to isolation. Therefore in order to integrate the incarcerated women into the community life after their release, its very pivotal that they should remain both physically and mentally sound and this can only be achieved through the combined efforts of the three main organs of government in India in light of the new model prison manual, mental health care act 2017 and the upcoming Model Prisons act of 2023 which needs effective and timely implementation in its letter and spirit.