'Work from jail' on the cards to rehabilitate inmates across Sindh

Prisons IG reaches out to industrialists to provide machinery, training, and projects

KARACHI:

Sindh Inspector General, Prisons, Fida Hussain Mustooi has proposed a “work from jail” model under which prisoners would be trained by industrial experts and engaged in productive work while serving their sentences, enabling them to reintegrate into society as useful citizens.

Speaking at a meeting during his visit to the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI), he said prisons should not function solely as places of punishment but as centres of reform, training and rehabilitation. He noted that former prisoners are often rejected by society after completing their sentences, pushing many back into crime — a key factor behind repeat offences.

To address this, he said the prisons department is introducing modern skill development and vocational training programmes, but stressed that their success depends on active collaboration from the industrial sector. He revealed that Sindh’s prisons currently house around 28,000 inmates, exceeding capacity by more than 12,400, yet efforts are underway to turn incarceration into an opportunity for reform.

Mustooi proposed the formation of a task force under the supervision of a DIG, comprising representatives from KATI and various industrial sectors. The task force would focus on providing modern machinery and tools in prisons, imparting market-relevant skills, and arranging industrial orders and projects for inmates.

Under the proposed model, industries such as textile mills and factories could assign projects to prisons, allowing inmates to work as an organised workforce while incarcerated. After release, trained prisoners could secure employment in the same industries, reducing recidivism while supplying skilled labour to the market.