State prisons are failing to provide basic mental healthcare facilities due to a shortage of staff, according to the recently released India Justice Report 2022 (IJR). According to the report, there are 42,577 inmates lodged in 64 prisons across Maharashtra, but only one psychiatrist and two psychologists to attend to them. The state has also not implemented the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, which mandates one mental health unit in at least one prison in each state.

mid-day had in its article titled ‘State figures at 11th spot on justice delivery: report’, dated April 13, 2023, highlighted the state’s failure to improve on the justice system, which pushed its rating down from the No1 spot held in 2020 to No11 in 2022. “The sanctioned strength of all medical officers in Maharashtra is 44, which itself is low given that there are more than 42,000 inmates and many of them need medical attention including psycho-social support and psychiatric help,” IJR project lead, Valay Singh said.