About the Book
This volume emerges from the author’s extensive professional journey spanning over two decades, drawing from her work in behavioural sciences, training, and applied psychology. Rooted in research and fieldwork within Indian correctional institutions, it brings together internationally validated psychological assessments adapted for forensic populations, biopsychosocial evaluations, and qualitative and quantitative methodologies. It offers a compelling fusion of narrative case studies and evidence-based forensic psychology, bridging scientific inquiry with real-world complexity, moving beyond traditional academic boundaries.
Drawing on global frameworks such as Forensic Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and therapeutic jurisprudence, the book highlights the Samarth: Breaking Barriers initiative launched at Ahmedabad Central Jail and then extended in other central prisons of Gujarat, as an applied model tailored to the Indian correctional context. The initiative ethically adapts international best practices to align with institutional realities and cultural dynamics, making it a potential reference point for similarly under-resourced or high-need environments.
Aimed at policymakers, forensic psychologists, criminologists, penologists, mental health professionals, and those working in correctional administration and criminal justice reform, the volume illustrates the potential of structured, ethical, and culturally responsive rehabilitation. It will also be a valuable resource for students, researchers, and practitioners across psychology, psychiatry, penology, correctional administration, social welfare, and correctional mental health.
Table of Contents:
Foreword by Vikas Sahay Foreword by Akshat Mehta Preface Introduction 1. From Punishment to Possibility: The Evolution of Prison Reform in India 2. Foundations of Forensic Psychological Interventions 3. Assessing the Need: Psychological and Criminogenic profiles of Indian Inmates 4. Evidence of Change – Pre to Post Intervention Outcomes 5. Samarth in Action – Therapeutic Design, Implementation and Qualitative Insights 6. From Evidence to Action: Policy, Practice, and Sustainable Change in Indian Prison Rehabilitation
About the Author :
Reena Sharma, PhD, is a forensic psychologist and criminologist whose work focuses on criminal thinking, behaviour, and offender rehabilitation. She developed the Samarth Model and founded Samarth: Breaking Barriers – India’s first therapeutic prison-based centre, housed within Gujarat Central Prisons.
She has worked in correctional settings including Tihar Jail and Bhondsi Jail, and collaborated with the Gujarat City Police to design, train, and develop a Victim Assistance Programme. Among various other trainings, she is trained in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Forensic CBT, and neurocriminology-based rehabilitation.
With over two decades of experience across behavioural training, mental health, corrections, and applied behavioural sciences, she is also the Founder of The Mind Practice, offering psychological and consulting services to a wide range of populations, including forensic clients, corporate professionals, and the public. She is an independent researcher actively contributing to the field through practice-based insights and programme development.
Review :
Transforming Lives Behind Bars is a timely and deeply relevant Indian perspective on the meaning and purpose of incarceration.
Drawing on two decades of experience in behavioral sciences and forensic psychology, Dr. Sharma reframes incarceration as more than a matter of law - it becomes, in her analysis, an experience profoundly shaped by poverty, emotional trauma, chronic unemployability, and the purposelessness that marks daily life behind bars. Her book confronts a difficult truth: that the Indian prison system, in its current form, often intensifies rather than alleviates the suffering of those it confines. In doing so, she challenges us to look beyond procedural justice and toward the lived realities of inmates who enter prison already burdened by structural disadvantage.
This critique is not merely academic. At the heart of the volume lies Samarth: Breaking Barriers, an innovative intervention developed within Gujarat’s central prison. By adapting global best practices—such as forensic cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and therapeutic jurisprudence to Indian institutional and cultural contexts, Dr. Sharma shows how ethical and effective psychological rehabilitation is possible even in resource-constrained environments.
Dr Dhruv Gupta (IPS) | PHD
Inspector General of Police, Police Headquarters, Nava Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India
As the former Director General of Police, Correctional Administration, Gujarat, I have had the opportunity to witness the evolution of correctional practices from a close vantage point. When Dr. Reena Sharma approached us during her doctoral research work her insights and scientific orientation toward criminal rehabilitation immediately stood out. I saw great potential in her work and encouraged her to expand it further. What followed was the establishment of Samarth: Breaking Barriers India’s first therapeutic prison-based center, developed in alignment with institutional and cultural realities. Now, nearly nine years since those early conversations, I am heartened to see how the Samarth model has sustained its momentum, evolved, and touched numerous lives across Gujarat’s correctional institutions.
This book is a reflection of groundbreaking effort Dr. Reena Sharma's work, grounded in scientific precision and driven by unwavering dedication, addressed a long-standing gap in our prison system. Samarth brought not just structure but dignity to rehabilitation. It offered inmates a path to introspect, rebuild, and re-enter society with renewed purpose.
I commend this effort not just as a former administrator, but as someone who witnessed the impact of structured psychological intervention in some of Gujarat’s most challenging correctional environments. This book offers important insights for policymakers, practitioners, and anyone committed to meaningful criminal justice reform.
Dr TS Bisht, IPS, Ex DGP Gujarat State, India
Transforming Lives Behind Bars: Forensic CBT and Systemic Reform in Indian Prisons is a valuable resource for students, mental health professionals, and correctional staff working to support people in Indian prisons. Drawing from both research and hands-on experience, Dr. Reena Sharma offers practical, evidence-based approaches to rehabilitation of the Indian correctional system. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in moving beyond punishment toward more humane and effective solutions for justice-involved individuals.
Raymond Chip Tafrate, PhD, and Damon Mitchell, PhD, Professors and Clinical Psychologists, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Central Connecticut State University. Authors of, CBT with Justice-Involved Clients: Interventions for Antisocial and Self-Destructive Behaviors and Co-Editors of, Forensic CBT: A Handbook for Clinical Practice
I have worked closely with Dr. Reena Sharma on the Victim Support Program in Ahmedabad city and several complex cases that demanded both psychological acumen and systemic sensitivity. Her deep commitment, clarity, and grounded approach have always stood out. The book “Transforming Lives Behind Bars” is a compelling reflection of her expertise in forensic psychology and offers a nuanced, evidence-based view of psychological rehabilitation. It adds to the meaningful contribution for both practitioners in the field and policymakers.
Panna Momaya, Deputy Commissioner of Police,Vadodara City Police, India
Transforming Lives Behind Bars is a timely and relevant contribution to the evolving landscape of correctional rehabilitation in India. The book is grounded in real-world practice and backed by years of rigorous work inside prison settings. It offers deep insight into the psychological realities of incarceration and serves as a practical and reflective handbook for those working in criminal justice, mental health, and prison administration.
Having observed Dr. Reena Sharma’s work in correctional settings through Samarth: Breaking Barriers, which has now entered its 9th year, I have personally witnessed her dedication to reforming rehabilitation practices from a forensic psychological perspective. Her approach reflects both scientific discipline and compassionate engagement with the human stories behind bars.
Dr K.L.N. Rao, IPS, Director General, Correctional Administration, Government of Gujarat, India
