Inmates with mental health issues grateful for new programme

by Lyf Compton

Several inmates at His Majesty’s Prison (HMP) with varying mental health issues say they are appreciative of a new programme spearheaded by the Ministry of National Security, aimed at improving their mental health.

On Saturday, September 25, 2025, the programme saw its first “anxiety party” being held in the yard of HMP at White Chapel Road, Kingstown.

An anxiety party provides a platform for individuals to connect and collaboratively solve problems, and foster team success. It is designed to not only normalize conversations about stress, anxiety, and mental health, but also to cultivate a supportive environment where people can openly address these challenges together.

Forensic psychiatrist, philanthropist and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PraxTherapy Dr. Enyinne Williams, designed the programme and explained on Saturday that it was implemented through the Ministry of Legal Affairs alongside HMP in an effort to look into the well-being of inmates with mental health challenges.

She said the anxiety party was an event for these inmates to engage in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), which is a way to help them dive into their emotions/feelings while learning about healthier ways in which they can collaborate, problem solve and work together when they have challenges in their lives.

Dr. Williams said she was given a list of inmates, and they were re-evaluated with some receiving a different diagnosis.

“From there, we readjusted their medications, monitored them for approximately two months to see what type of improvements we had,” she explained.

“Given the drastic nature of the improvements, what we are now doing is incorporating this CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) programme…,” Dr. Williams explained.

Forty-two inmates are currently part of the programme, and Dr. Williams noted that one of the biggest challenges is that some inmates have friction between one another.

“…so, it’s getting them into groupings and having them step out of their comfort zone,” Dr. Williams said.

Saturday’s activities saw inmates involved in activities such as the human knot, an obstacle course, and drawing.

“…and the challenge was to see which group would effectively get out of the human knot first. The second activity we had was an obstacle course, and this was built around trust, so each teammate was blindfolded, and they had to walk an entire obstacle course…and the final activity…is a drawing activity.

“This drawing activity is where they are asked to delve into their current problems. So, they have to come up with at least four current issues that they are facing. Once they come up with these four current issues, we’re going to sit down in groups and discuss how they can effectively work through these problems,” Dr. Williams explained.

She said they are hoping to continue hosting these activities.

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