Prison counselling: A loving touch for prisoners in Taloja jail

Jails are one of the most separated and avoided building in history of any society. Some human beings are living inside the jails without any contacts to the outer world. Though most of them are criminals and have no hope for the society, some in our city wants to help them. Counselling centre of YMCA has completed one year in helping such people who are hopeless. They provide personal advice and help them to return to normal life. They say it is not easy to transform from an easy money addiction, but are successful in providing advice and mental strength to face problems. A group of counsellors from the centre is visiting the Taloja jail every week.

YMCA and its counselling division has understood the need to improve their works and completed training about 14 new counsellors specially for prisoners. Taloja jail spread over 77 acres of land and has many big criminals in it. Taloja jail is one of the most important jails due to its size, number of prisoners and security given. These counsellors took this challenge to meet these prisoners, talk to them, understand their problems and help them in rebuilding their life.

On every Thursday these counsellors visited the jail and studied each and every problem faced by people inside there. They took their time to understand their life, pressure they hold and provide them with good advice and transformed many lives. They got a very good response from the prisoners. According to the counsellors, prisoners are eagerly waiting for the counselling programs and counsellors to share their problems. Prisoners in the jail have got a good platform to share their views and solve their problems.

Shaji Varghese, Coordinator of Counselling centre YMCA, said “we have completed one year in providing counselling for prisoners. This term helped us to understand basic needs, pressure and problems face by a prisoner in jail. We came through many strange incidents and life of prisoners. Many lives are transformed and took decision to live in our society. We are successful in taking them to the main stream of the society. Results of our efforts will be seen in coming future. Now we are training some new trainers for prison counselling, as we understood the great need of such people inside the prison.”