Now Reading: Theatre tools help Maharashtra inmates find voice in prison therapy
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Theatre tools help Maharashtra inmates find voice in prison therapy
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…
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.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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