Mental health prisoners need more follow-up

Mental health has been marked as a new disease in most of Rwanda’s prisons.

Rwanda correctional services have initiated a new service with other stake holders like Ndera health center and Butare center to jointly take care of mentally disturbed prisoners in different prisons.

Major. Gen. Paul Rwarakabije, the Head of Rwanda Correctional Services urged the stake holders to actively give a hand in making daily follow-up for such new diseases.

“Mentally disturbed prisoners are still few but it doesn’t mean there are no such illnesses,”   Rwarakabije, revealed.

Rwarakabije said mental illness is a setback and a cause of hiked crimes in prisons.

Currently Rwandan prisons face problems of analyzing and following-up prisoners with mental problems. The government also calls up mental health institutions to support prisons in Rwanda.