Health Status of Incarcerated Women at Central Jail, Imphal, Manipur: A Comprehensive Survey and Analysis

Abstract

Incarcerated women in Manipur, North East India, face a severe lack of attention regarding their health status. Field research at Manipur Central Jail, Imphal, found that under-trial inmates make up 91.67% of the incarcerated population, while 68.33% belong to the Scheduled Tribes group, and a large portion (30%) have low literacy levels, and 33.33% earn less than 5000 rupees per month. Mental health, including depression and anxiety, together with PTSD, affects 46.67% of incarcerated women, followed by gastrointestinal conditions with 25%. The research reveals that aging women show a decline in mental health (r = -0.348, p < 0.01), yet education levels (r = 0.269, p < 0.05) and income (r = 0.269, p < 0.05) have positive relationships with the health status among the incarcerated individuals.