Process of jail reforms should be accelerated :Najam Sethi

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Najam Sethi has said that juvenile offenders and woman prisoners can be made useful citizen through imparting them various skills. He directed to pay special attention to the psychological and mental health of child prisoners so that they could emerge as law-abiding citizens after completing their prison sentences. He said that there is also a need for concentrating on education and training of juvenile offenders and woman prisoners as well as provision of maximum facilities to women prisoners. He further directed to ensure that woman prisoners are kept near their home districts. He said that process of setting up PCOs should be accelerated to provide prisoners the facility of talking to their families. He said that sanitary conditions in accordance with the hygienic principles should be ensured in prisons.

He was presiding over a high level meeting at Chief Minister’s Secretariat here today. Provincial Home Minister Tariq Pervaiz, Secretary Home, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Secretaries of Finance, Law, Schools Education, Inspector General Prisons and other concerned authorities were present. Problems of juvenile offenders and woman prisoners as well as reformation of jail system were reviewed on the occasion.

Addressing the meeting, Chief Minister Najam Sethi said that the process of jail reforms should be accelerated and special attention should be paid to education and training as well as provision of better facilities to prisoners. He said that setting up of 30 computer labs with the cooperation of NGOs is a welcome step and philanthropists and non-governmental organizations are extending commendable cooperation in the payment of fine of poor prisoners. He said that schools are also functioning in Lahore, Sheikhupura and Kasur jails with the assistance of NGOs. He said that IT labs have been set up in 22 prisons of the province while nine vocational centres are being established and 14 vocational centres are being upgraded in prisons.

The Chief Minister said that these measures will help prisoners in acquiring various skills. He said that the system of provision of food to the prisoners has also been improved. He said that separate wards have been set up for juvenile offenders and prisoner women. He said that petty offenders who have completed their terms are also being released after payment of fine. He said that special attention is being paid to the provision of better medical facilities while provision of medical equipment for the treatment of prisoners has been ensured.

The Chief Minister directed that the system of regular monitoring of prisoners should be further improved while search operation should continue. He directed that the security system of prisons should be made more effective and training of prison staff on modern lines should be arranged. He said that prisons should serve as reformation centres for prisoners so that they could become useful citizens after their release instead of indulging in criminal activities. He directed that steps should be taken speedily for evolving prisons management information system. He directed that maximum medical facilities should be provided to the prisoners and they should be provided proper treatment facilities in the best hospitals if needed.

Inspector General Prisons while giving a briefing regarding prisons system and reforms informed that there are 850 woman prisoners and 825 juvenile offenders in jails in Punjab. He said that in view of overcrowding, new prisons are being constructed. He said that 40 filtration plants have been set up in prisons for the provision of drinking water to the prisoners. He said that arrangements have also been made for religious training of prisoners in accordance with their beliefs.

Moreover, he said, indoor and outdoor sports facilities are being provided to the prisoners. He said that a PCO is operating successfully in Gujranwala prison for providing facility to the prisoners to talk to their families while an automatic PCO system in District Jail Lahore will soon start operating. Inspector General Prisons informed the participants of the meeting about prisons system and provision of facilities to jail inmates.