Jail inspection: ‘Rehabilitation is of utmost importance’

Minister inspects central jail after reports of torture on inmates.

VEHARI:

Provincial Minister for Jails Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channer has instructed jail authorities to ensure that inmates are treated properly. Channer conducted a surprise visit of the main jail in the district and ordered that inmates be properly fed and taken care of. The visit followed reports of several prisoners being mistreated by police officials.

“There was recently a scandal in the prison that one of the police officials had been torturing three prisoners by holding them in a private cell and making them eat from his dogs dishes,” said a jail official, who chose to remain anonymous. “There were also reports of several police officials torturing prisoners by making them sit on the floor on their hands and knees for hours, while they sat on top of them and conducted their daily business,” he added.

The jail superintendent had received several complaints in this regard and had invited the jails minister to inspect the jails at his leisure.  “One of the functions of jails is containment but the second is rehabilitation. We need to work at ensuring that these inmates do not leave here to repeat their crimes. The only way that can be done is if they are treated properly,” Channer said. Addressing jail wardens at the regional training centre here, the minister said the Punjab government was providing every basic necessity to inmates in the province and would continue to do so.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 28^th, 2011.