Participants at the regular PRAWA Psychological Rehabilitation of Torture Victims programme have received training on how to counsel drug addicts and potential addicts to avoid drug and substance abuse especially inside the prisons. The training given by Pastor Nonso Chukwuemeka explored the hazardous effects of drug and substance abuse to individuals especially those in seclusion.
11 participants made of prison officers, interns and resource persons including the PRAWA psychologist participated in the five days training programme which took place at the OBS of Enugu Prisons.

The PRAWA resident psychologist Mr. Godwin Ugbor talked on the essence of the training programme and implored the prison officers to maximize the opportunity provided by the training programme to enhance their knowledge and capacity on issues around psychological assessment and therapy for torture victims. He said the exercise is a component of the phase 2 OAK Project being implemented by PRAWA in Nigeria.

The capacity building programme covered the following areas:

• Psychological Torture and Methods of Inflicting Torture
• Psychological Assessment of Torture
• Dangers of Drug/Substance Abuse

Therapies for Torture including:

• Group/Individual Counseling
• Psychodrama (which include a practical session)
• Systematic Desensitization
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

The activities were carried out either as group work or as individual presentation during the training exercise.
Highlight of the programme include provision of medical treatment to a number of prisoners who are victims of torture and abuse. A vote of thanks was given by one prison inmates on behalf of other participants. He thanked PRAWA for providing them such opportunity to get psychological, medical and moral treatment to enable them be reformed for life after seclusion especially the insight into the dangers of drug abuse and pledge to participate in subsequent exercises.