Maharashtra revives plan to interview serial killers to prevent inmate suicides

Maharashtra's prison department has revived a programme to conduct interviews with serial killers, after the plan was previously abandoned. The initiative is being reintroduced with a focus on preventing inmate suicides within correctional facilities.

The state authorities believe that insights gathered from conversations with serial killers can help prison officials better understand criminal psychology and identify warning signs of self-harm among the general inmate population. The data collected is expected to inform mental health interventions and suicide prevention strategies.

Prison officials had shelved the project earlier, but renewed concerns over rising suicide rates among inmates prompted the decision to restart the programme. The approach aims to leverage the psychological profiles and behavioral patterns of long-term convicts to develop more effective safeguarding measures across Maharashtra's prisons.