Redesigning Pakistani prisons must for reforming inmates: Sindh Prisons IG

Architecture competition held to focus on resolving some of the more pressing problems of incarceration through design

There is a dire need to redesign Pakistan's prisons to reform inmates, these remarks were made by Sindh Prisons IG Nusrat Mangan while speaking at an architecture competition titled “Reimagining Prisons” on Thursday.

The competition was primed on resolving the pressing problems of incarceration via design.

“The architecture of our prisons is outdated and must be redesigned to reform prisoners,” Mangan added.

He went on to say that the standard policy of adding more barracks to a prison to address overcrowding is not the right solution.



“There is no prison in Pakistan that is not overcrowded,” he stated.
The architecture competition was held in collaboration with Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVS).

Fourth-year IVS students Mahaa Ejaz and Tahir Zahid won the contest. Their designs focused on rehabilitation through design.

Twenty-five final year students submitted their designs for a medium security prison, that holds up to 300 prisoners for a site in Karachi’s Malir area.

The top five designs by Hamza Mandviwala, Mahaa Ejaz, Hoorya Mehmood, Tahir Zahid and Saif Zubair were presented at the art school.

The winning design was adjudicated by Mangan, Chamaine Enerva from the International Committee of the Red Cross, as well as, architects Saifullah Sami and Hameed Anees.

Students were instructed to include administration and visitation blocks, a primary care clinic, services including laundry, kitchen and commissary, an inmate holding block (for prisoner holding and living) and additional services or programs for inmates.



It's pertinent to mention here that Karachi’s prisons are extremely understaffed and overfilled. This leads to tremendous challenges in prison management.  Most of them are over capacity, and in trepid conditions. Central Prison Karachi (men’s) houses 6,174 prisoners against the authorized capacity for 2,400 inmates.

Currently, over 100 inmates are required to sleep in a unit designed for 60.

The problem of overcrowding directly affects the prison management’s capability of separating high risk from low risk prisoners, operational challenges, and increased corruption.