Sindh

Prison magazine

Compiled and edited by inmates, the publication is a first-of-its-kind in the jail.

Editorial May 14, 2014

This is a good initiative as it provides the prisoners an outlet for their creativity and the emotions they go through while they serve their sentences, or await trial. PHOTO: EXPRESS/AYESHA MIR

In a successful attempt to provide our prisoners with some rehabilitation, the Karachi Central Jail published the first edition of its prison magazine. Compiled and edited by inmates, the publication is a first-of-its-kind in the jail.

The magazine, which is the brainchild of the jail’s superintendent, caters to three audiences; those who speak Urdu, those who understand English and those comfortable in Sindhi. Given that Karachi jail houses inmates from all over the province, the messages shared in the publication will be able to reach just about everyone living within the confines of the prison.

This is a good initiative as it provides the prisoners an outlet for their creativity and the emotions they go through while they serve their sentences, or await trial. In fact, one of the inmates, a former police officer, admitted that he has become calmer in his behaviour compared to when he began his prison term. Similar emotions and changes are felt by other inmates too and writing them down will prove to be a fruitful outlet for them.

Admittedly, the first edition of the magazine still has a lot of room for improvement. The editing of the stories and news items must be fixed since the issue is full of spelling and grammatical mistakes. Once the project kicks off, we hope the prison authorities can arrange special trainings for the inmates on writing and editing. Moreover, the content can also be improved by asking inmates to write about their experiences, their crime stories, their families and other issues close to their hearts. It is when they write about such topics that the prisoners can use writing as a form of rehabilitation.

The next step for the prison officials should be to arrange for a public release of the magazine. Perhaps, most importantly, this good effort should be replicated by other prisons in not just Sindh, but all the provinces. The resulting exchange of ideas and dialogue will surely give our prisons the much-needed space for rehabilitation.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15^th, 2014.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.