By IANS,

Chennai : The Tamil Nadu government has decided to take the help of psychologists to understand the mental make-up of jail birds and counsel them so that they can join the mainstream society after their release from prison.

Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa has ordered creation of nine posts of psychologists in nine prisons so as to understand the criminals, the basic reasons for their actions, their mental make-up and counsel them, a goevernment statement said.

The posts will be created in the following six central prisons: Puzhal, Cuddalore, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchirapalli and Palayamkottai, and in the three women jails in Puzhal, Vellore and Tiruchirapalli.

According to the government, the annual expenditure for the new posts will be around Rs.4.5 million.

In another effort to study the psychological roots of criminal behaviour, the Tamil Nadu government will take the help of academia to do various research projects digging deep into the criminal minds in order to control crime more effectively.

The government has instituted a chair in the psychology department of the Madras University to fund research projects on deviant behaviour.

Speaking to IANS S.K. Dogra, additional director general of police (ADGP - Prisons), said: "The chief minister readily agreed to the suggestions of appointing psychologists in the prisons and high level research on the deviant behaviour and the methods to correct the behaviour."

He said the government will provide a corpus of Rs.1 crore, from which Rs.15 lakh will be drawn every year.

"The drawn amount will be replenished by the government," Dogra added.

As per the scheme, a doctoral or post-doctoral scholar will get a research grant for projects short-listed by a panel. The project should be completed within three years.

Dogra said psychology plays an important role in human behaviour and this aspect should be studied in detail.

"The problem should be solved at its roots. The more we have internal control, the less is the need for external monitoring and controls," he remarked.