Inside Tihar: 14 Days, 1 Intern, Unlimited Insight
Diya’s journey uncovers the human side of inmates.
New Delhi: Spending time inside a prison is rarely easy—and for Diya Kahali, a young psychology intern from Ghaziabad, her two-week internship at Tihar Jail, said to be the largest prison in India, was not merely an opportunity for professional advancement but rather a deep experience in her personal and psychological journey.
The full-blown, honest post on LinkedIn gave Diya an opportunity to speak widely about her internship experience in probably the most famous and biggest correctional facility in India. Being the only female intern in the male-dominated unit, she lived through an experience that she defined as “intense” and “multi-layered”—an experience that challenged her comprehension of even the most general concepts learned through a textbook into the realities of the psyche of humans behind prison walls.
Every day was different, with new challenges and learning experiences. Diya’s job involved interviewing prisoners, observing their behavior, documenting psychological evaluations, and addressing questions from doctors and mental health professionals. The hardest task, she recalls, was to navigate a space where, on the one hand, she was “highly visible” and on the other “invisibly alone,” being one of two women in an otherwise male space.
She noted that the heightened vigilance was a requirement. “You can’t afford to let your guard down.” Communication became paramount—to have a firm grip on her work, both within the inmate population, which one would find reluctant and suspicious beyond measure, but also with the jail staff, from whom some extended unpredicted positive support. Unpredictability was the only consistent feature of her role, so she was often forced to become a self-learner, making observations and seeking help where she could—an act not always easy for any other fresher in a rigid institutional setup.
Language was one of the greatest lessons learned. She noted that being fluent in Hindi was not an option for the slight trust needed to be built. She expressed, “Hypothetical examples help—but never make it personal.” This demarcation, she added, saved emotional clarity but did not take sympathy away.
Not all inmates are open to being spoken to. Some are withdrawn; others watch her with quiet suspicion. But she learned to approach each contact calmly and professionally. “Stay calm, stay confident, and don’t show fear,” she advised. Yet her early apprehensions were rewarded when senior police officers, who were not supposed to be on her side, actually provided some warm encouragement and respect for her actual engagement there.
A lack of fixed program structures allowed her to think spontaneously, a skill that is less valued but is equally important in a space so controlled and hierarchical like a prison. “There is no fixed roadmap—you create your own path with every interaction,” she said.
Reflecting on her time at Tihar, Diya admitted that the experience had fundamentally altered her understanding of psychology as a discipline. What is taught in classrooms, she observed, often barely scratches the surface when compared to the emotional, social, and behavioral complexities she encountered on the ground.
“Was it difficult? Yes. Was it valuable? Absolutely.”
Her story is not just a compelling narrative about prison life from an outsider’s perspective — it is also a powerful account of resilience, learning, and emotional maturity. In choosing to share her experience publicly, Diya has not only demystified a little-known world but also provided a roadmap for aspiring mental health professionals who may one day find themselves in similar settings.
Her post has since resonated widely on social media, particularly among students, professionals, and academics in the fields of psychology, criminology, and social work. For many, it serves as a rare and honest glimpse into the mental and emotional demands of working in correctional institutions — a field where theory often meets the rawest realities of human behavior.
In the end, Diya Kahali’s time inside Tihar wasn’t just an internship — it was a journey into the heart of what it means to be a psychologist, a woman, and a learner in one of the toughest environments imaginable.
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