# Theatre tools help Maharashtra inmates find voice in prison therapy 2026-08-22T20:47:21+00:00 | India | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Maharashtra prisoners are using drama therapy, including an 'empty chair' exercise, to address unresolved emotions and practice difficult conversations. The technique, part of Khula Asman Trust's Project Inner Light, lets inmates speak to imagined figures such as victims or family members, then reverse roles to gain perspective. The project recently returned to Thane Central Prison for a year-long program involving dance, art, music and drama. Outside prisons, theatre elements are also used in neighbourhood walks in Kandivali East's Kranti Nagar to help visitors understand low-income settlements through staged scenes performed by local youth. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Drama therapy in prisons is rare in India, where mental health interventions remain limited. The Empty Chair technique, adapted from Gestalt therapy, addresses the emotional numbness common among long-term inmates cut off from family. Project Inner Light, active in Thane, Yerawada and Byculla jails, fills a gap left by overburdened prison counsellors. The year-long Thane session will test whether structured creative arts can reduce recidivism by building empathy and communication skills. Outcome data from earlier batches is not yet public, but the model could inform prison reform if expanded. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com Straightforward feature reporting on prison therapy and community theatre, with no government alignment or criticism This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Khula Asman Trust, Thane Central Prison Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/theatre-tools-help-maharashtra-inmates-find-voice-in-prison-therapy/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/theatre-tools-help-maharashtra-inmates-find-voice-in-prison-therapy/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/