India: UNODC, Academy of Prisons and Correctional Administration (Vellore) avenues to strengthen health in prison settings

Vellore, Tamil Nadu (India)/18 November 2022: Health in detention settings is an integral part of prison management. Health in prisons and other closed settings is closely connected to the health of the wider society, especially as it relates to communicable diseases.

Globally, prisons are characterized by relatively high prevalence of HIV, hepatitis B and C virus and tuberculosis, as well as elevated risks of contracting such diseases and diminished access to health services. In some settings, the HIV burden among people living in prisons may be up to 50 times higher than in the general population.

In this backdrop, under the joint Unified Budget, Results and Accountability Framework (UBRAF) mechanism, UNODC's Criminal Justice Expert Seema Joshi Arya called on Mr. M Chandrasekhar, Director, Academy of Prisons and Correctional Administration (APAC), Vellore to discuss prison health interventions.

APAC is the training institute for prison and correctional officers of Southern States (Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala and Karnataka) in India.  The meeting was attended by Mr. V Karuppannan, Deputy Director and Prof. Beulah Emmanuel from APAC.

The importance of capacity building of prison staff to strengthen healthcare in prisons, in line with the Nelson Mandela Rules, was emphasised. Following the discussions, it was agreed to institutionalize an online course on the Nelson Mandela Rules in the training curriculum of the Academy and conducting training workshops on health in detention settings for relevant officials and stakeholders.

This activity contributes to SDG 3 and SDG 16: https://sdg-tracker.org/

(Supported by UBRAF Mechanism)