 eARLY tIMES rEPORT
Jammu, June 30: To treat increasing problem of insomnia among jail inmates, the Department of Prisons, in collaboration with experts of psychology, held a detailed ‘manthan’ at special session organised here on District Jail premises.
Speaking to reporters at media briefing, DG Prisons, J&K, V K Singh said that in a path-breaking initiative, the Prisons Department, J&K in collaboration with the University of Jammu and Government College for Women, Parade, conducted Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-D at District Jail, Ambphalla, Jammu to help inmates overcome sleep difficulties.
The target group of 61 inmates, including 6 female inmates, was selected on the basis of baseline data identifying those who figured high on the insomnia severity index, he said, adding that the intervention comprised evaluation of sleep problems, sleep log monitoring, exercises for improved sleep hygiene, relaxation techniques, addressing dysfunctional belief related to sleep assessing treatment compliance and review of participants progress.
The sessions were held within the Jail premises with the help of Dr Arti Bakshi, Head, Department of Psychology. University of Jammu and Dr Piyali Arora, Assistant Professor, Clinical Psychologist, Government College for Women, Parade, Jammu.
Mirza Saleem Ahmed Beig, Superintendent, District Jail Jammu also flanked the DG Prisons.
Mr Singh emphasised that at the core of Prison administration is Correctional service which seeks to reform the inmates and enables them to re-integrate as healthy adults within the community on release.
Accordingly, he said that a need was felt to address sleep problems for better reformation of inmates which led to planning and implementation of this intervention.
As per experts sleep problems affect the heath of inmates adversely and long-term sleep problems among inmates may lead to memory issues, poor concentration, weak immune system, susceptibility to diabetes, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, etc., which in turn create an extra burden on the system and pose serious challenges in corrections.
Mr Mirza Saleem Ahmed Beig stated that in the present COVID-19 scenario, the advantages of a healthy immune system have been repeatedly highlighted.
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