Rehabilitating prisoners

Do you believe in second chances? Naeem Shah, a Karachi Central Jail inmate who has been sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and has been incarcerated for the past 11 years, has won a scholarship worth Rs1 million for outstanding academic performance. While in jail, Shah decided to resume his studies. He subsequently passed his matric and intermediate exams and even attained a position among the top 20 students. The tenacity of this young prisoner to pursue his education while in jail serving life in prison despite all odds should convince people and authorities that little redemption can go a long way.

Jail authorities had not only encouraged him but also provided him with whatever resources he needs in order to study. And now due to his good mannerisms in jail, he will be given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a respectable Chartered Accountant and hopefully integrate back into society as a worthy citizen. This in a nutshell is what prison is supposed to be. Of course, heinous criminals who commit horrible crimes and refuse to change must be punished and locked behind bars, but what we fail to acknowledge is that a significant percentage of our prison population consists of those who have lost their way or who have committed crimes out of desperation or naivety. The case of Naeem Shah shows that such people can be educated and rehabilitated so that they are given another chance to change their lives. Unfortunately, it is not just the state but as a society we tend to shun such criminals towards the periphery. What we instead need to do is invest in training, supporting and encouraging low-level prisoners to help them find their way.

The government with the help of civil society organisations must create rehab training programmes in jails across the country. This will indeed go a long way in improving the prison system, reducing the prison population, and encouraging criminals to choose a better path. Naeem Shah’s achievement can be a stepping stone towards reforming the prisons into rehabilitation centres.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 17, 2022.

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