Prisoners' Right to Mental Health in India: Legal Implications and Challenges.

The right to health--including mental health--is a fundamental human right, accessible to all individuals from birth, regardless of caste, faith or background. However, it is frequently observed that inmates' mental healthcare needs--a crucial aspect of their right to wellbeing--are constantly being jeopardized as a result of the physical and psychological abuse inflicted on them by the prison officials, most likely because of lack of training for them and the inadequate health infrastructure in the prison. As a result, many inmates commit selfharm and are further rendered incapable of leading healthy and respectable lives after being released from prisons. This paper explores the mental health challenges experienced by prisoners in India and reviews the existing support systems, legal frameworks, and healthcare policies available to them. It highlights the models and therapeutic approaches that could be effectively implemented to provide mental healthcare for the incarcerated population, with a special reference to the prisons of Howrah district in West Bengal, India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]