Gandhinagar, Sept 24: Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) is conducting a three-day residential Training of Trainers programme on correctional mental health, bringing together senior prison and correctional-services officers from 12 states.
The programme, titled “National Training of Trainers on Correctional Mental Health under Project PRAHARI,” is being held from September 23 to 25 under the university’s Global Correctional Administration Studies (GCAS).
The participating officers include Superintendents of Police, Additional SPs, Deputy SPs and jailers from states including Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand. The release, however, lists 11 states by name and should be verified for the 12th state.
PRAHARI, or Psychological Risk Assessment, Health Awareness and Resilience Initiative, is designed to train frontline correctional personnel to recognise psychological and behavioural risks among people in custody, respond appropriately and facilitate timely referral to mental-health professionals.
RRU said officers completing the programme will be certified as PRAHARI Master Trainers and will subsequently train correctional staff in their respective states.
The initiative was launched on February 3, 2026, at Sabarmati Central Prison and has since been delivered to more than 250 correctional personnel in institutions across Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, according to RRU.
The university said evaluations conducted before and after training among PRAHARI cohorts showed improvements in core competencies, particularly in identifying suicide and self-harm risks and de-escalating volatile situations. The programme also addressed awareness of mental illness, professional help-seeking and stigma related to mental-health conditions.
RRU said it plans to conduct monthly national Training of Trainers programmes to develop a network of Master Trainers across states and Union Territories. The trainers will be required to deliver PRAHARI training to correctional personnel in their respective jurisdictions and report the programmes to the GCAS Training of Trainers Cell.
The programme was inaugurated by RRU Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Bimal N. Patel, who stressed the need to strengthen prison administration and make greater use of technology and research in correctional management.
University Dean Dr Jasbirkaur Thadani said rehabilitation remained a central objective of the training, with emphasis on identifying psychological risks, referring cases to professionals and developing first responders within the prison system.
Dr Geetesh Kumar Singh, Project Director, GCAS, said the programme was needed in view of the prevalence of mental-health concerns among inmates and the limited availability of psychologists in correctional settings.
He said the programme trains frontline correctional staff to act as “gatekeepers” by observing, screening and identifying individuals who may be at risk.
The programme will conclude on September 25 with a vote of thanks by Dr Aarzoo Gupta, Head of the Department of Clinical Psychology, RRU.
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