INMATES — though incarcerated and largely unaffected by the devastation meted out by Hurricane Melissa — like other Jamaicans, are grappling with the after-effects of the killer storm that decimated sections of the island two months ago.

In fact, consultant psychiatrist at the Department of Correctional Services Dr Myo Oo said, following the passage of the Category 5 storm, mental health professionals met with inmates to provide psychosocial support, with some voluntarily seeking counselling.

He further noted that the department has also orchestrated programmes aimed at spreading cheer during the holiday season, alongside targeted support for inmates who miss home or experience emotional distress during this period.

Dr Oo, who provides services at the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre, St Catherine Adult Correctional Centre, and South Camp Adult Correctional Centre, said support services are readily available.

“What we do is that any time we go there, any time we see the inmates, we start with that topic, [Hurricane Melissa]. We look at the area where they live, and if they are coming from that side of the island [that was hardest hit], or even though they don’t come from that side of the island [south-western region], we ask them if they have any relatives or family members in that area, or if they have any friends or things like that.

“We just give them a chance to speak for themselves so that they can express their emotion and they can do ventilation — that’s what we do. In terms of statistics, I don’t see a lot of them, but they come voluntarily to you because their home got damaged, their business got damaged, or their loved one may have perished during hurricane time,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

Dr Oo noted that people’s reactions differ post-disaster due to many different factors, such as their childhood experiences and trauma. However, it is common for there to be some level of worry or anxiety about one’s family and friends.

“If the person is a family person, a responsible person, unless the person has a special kind of personality — kind of a severe pathological personality — you’re still concerned about your loved one, you’re concerned about their well-being outside in that kind of a disaster. For example, during [Hurricane] Melissa, they [the inmates] worried about their home, they worried about their family, how they’re going to do and stuff like that,” Dr Oo explained.

He added that inmates worry and experience anxiety just like ordinary persons that are not incarcerated.

“They develop that but their suffering inside can be a little bit more intense, because sometimes they don’t get the visitors, and sometimes they don’t get a proper communication with them, or sometimes they don’t hear anything at all — whether they are all right or not all right.

“For those…[who lose contact with family], their reactions can be a little stronger, and then they need to get counselling or…they need to get medication; or if they’re on medication, we need to adjust the medication to a little stronger dose so that they can cope with those situations,” the consultant psychiatrist said.

Dr Oo noted, too, that the Department of Correctional Services also has annual programmes across each institution during the holiday season, from which inmates can benefit if they are in need of cheer. He identified Family Day as one such programme that allows inmates to see their loved ones.

He said that just like with disasters, individuals’ mental state differ when it comes to the holiday season, depending on their experiences. However, the resources are available to provide support.

“We have medical doctors, 14 of them, and we have five psychiatrists full time, and two are seasonal, and we have three psychologists. We are providing what is necessary for their mental health, so anyone can talk to them when they miss their loved one and so on, and they can get an appointment, and they can come and talk to us,” he told the Sunday Observer.

Dr Oo shared that each counsellor has a roster indicating when they will visit any of the 11 institutions across the island, which they also utilise during the holiday season.

“The juvenile centre has more resources. We have a case manager, we have other outside agencies coming in, and they do the Christmas parties. They have the churches that visit very regularly with the prisons, and they have special occasions and so on. They have feasts, dancing, and things like that,” he said, noting that similar arrangements are made for the other institutions.

The consultant psychiatrist said the main goal of the counsellors during this season is to focus on how inmates are feeling.

“We have over 3,000 inmates in 11 institutions and three psychologists. The work is very overwhelming, so their job is to discuss the feelings, how to appreciate the feelings, and to acknowledge the feelings. We just teach them the basic things, such as acknowledge your feelings and you have to appreciate others’ feelings towards you.

“We also talk about the seasonal time, and what most likely will happen — kind of missing home and a little bit of depressive feelings, a little anxiety, and things like that — so those are the things that we psychologists will do,” he shared.

Dr Myo Oo (Photo: JIS)