Bengaluru prison gets India’s first Tele-MANAS facility for inmates

Bengaluru: The country’s first Tele-MANAS centre at a prison was inaugurated at Bengaluru Central Prison in Parappana Agrahara Sunday, giving inmates access to counselling, psychological support, and mental health services.

The Nimhans initiative was inaugurated by Justice Vikram Nath, a judge of the Supreme Court and executive chairman of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), during a visit to the prison. Tele-MANAS (Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States) is a tele-mental health service that will enable inmates to access counselling and psychological support.

Accompanying him were Justice Vibhu Bakhru, Chief Justice of Karnataka and patron-in-chief of the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA), and Justice Anu Sivaraman, a judge of Karnataka high court and executive chairperson of KSLSA. Accompanying the judges were KS Bharath Kumar, registrar general of the high court, H Shashidhara Shetty, member secretary of KSLSA, and Sanjiv Pandey, member secretary of NALSA.

The dignitaries also inaugurated a computer laboratory established under the ‘Cells to Skills’ initiative with support from RV College of Engineering. The lab is aimed at equipping inmates with digital literacy and vocational skills as part of rehabilitation efforts.

The dignitaries also visited the prison’s women’s wing, interacted with inmates, and inspected the recently established creche for children of incarcerated women. They also met the children and appreciated the initiative.

The visit coincided with a programme on ‘right of parole, remission and release under poor prisoners scheme’, organised by NALSA, KSLSA, and the department of prisons and correctional services.