Coronavirus in Karachi jail

Around 40 prisoners and three staffers of the Karachi Central Jail have been diagnosed with Covid-19. It has, however, not come as a surprise considering the overcrowding in the prison. Now 3,619 prisoners are lodged in the jail against the capacity for 2,400. The cramped conditions are conducive to the spread of the deadly coronavirus. Conditions in other prisons of Sindh are no better either. In 24 jails of the province, there are around 16,000 prisoners against the capacity for 13,500. Around 200 new inmates enter the province’s prisons on a daily basis exposing those already there to the contagion.

With a view to reducing the prison population the jail authorities had decided in March to release prisoners convicted of or charged with minor offences and also the elderly, women and juvenile prisoners who are more vulnerable to contracting Covid-19. The Sindh High Court had ordered the release of 829 under-trial prisoners. Later, the Supreme Court set aside the order, telling the authorities to re-arrest all those who had been released, except the elderly, women, children and those accused of minor offences. The apex court had held that since after the release of prisoners, crimes had increased, it was necessary to re-arrest them.

However, there are other ways to reduce the congestion in prisons. Out of the total number of prisoners in Sindh, 11,000 are UTPs, about 500 are foreign nationals and 550 have been awarded the death sentence. Of the 148 prisoners in the juvenile prison, only 12 have been convicted. Foreigners could be sent back to their countries and the less dangerous among the UTPs could be released on bail in order to reduce the congestion in prisons. Inmates can also be transferred from overcrowded prisons to prisons where there are comparatively fewer prisoners. Arrangements for quarantine have been made in many jails.