Making prison life bearable...

11 more jails to be constructed to deal with the increasing number of inmates, better facilities offered.

SHAHPUR CITY: The Punjab government has recently announced that it is constructing 11 more jails to deal with the increasing number of inmates.

“We are providing every possible facility to inmates and are trying to rehabilitate them,” said Shahpur jails district inspector general (DIG) Shahid Baig while inspecting one of the local jails in the area.

Jail superintendent Malik Dilbaz Khan, deputy superintendent Malik Muhammad Yaqub, medical officer Dr Iftikhar Ahmed, assistant superintendent Rana Muhammad Shamshad, assistant Malik Ammar and other staff were also present on the occasion.

“We are trying to work with the government to provide rehabilitation for inmates while they are serving their sentence.

They are working and we also hope to eventually introduce some kind of teaching courses,” said SP Malik Dilbaz Khan.

The DIG said that the new jails were being constructed in several districts including Pakpattan and Lodhran.

“After the construction of these jails inmates and officials will have the facility to live near their houses,” Baig said, adding that this would mean their families could visit them more often.

The DIG said that the government had started teaching sessions for the inmates and that they were being taught the Holy Quran. “We also plan to employ a psychologist who will visit and examine all 500 inmates,” Baig said, adding that the only time to reach out to prisoners was during their incarceration.

DIG Shahid Baig said that both the internal and external security of the jails will be monitored through CCTV cameras, which will be placed throughout the prison buildings.

Baig said that the Punjab government had also made special arrangements to improve the quality of prison food.

Baig inspected the food being provided to the inmates and asked them the problems they were facing at the jail.

One prisoner requested that the DIG shift him to a jail near Jhang and another inmate said the Rs50,000 should be paid for his release. The DIG inspected the jail hospital and also examined the barracks of the inmates.

He checked the complete kit of the staff and said that a tower should be constructed in the jail to improve security. “We need to ensure tight security in all prisons, especially given the overall security situation in the country,” he said.

Baig showed satisfaction over the arrangements in the jail and said that the new measures would help to improve conditions in all other prisons as well.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 26^th, 2010.