Punjab Prisons Department seek PU help to educate the prisoners

Lahore : The Punjab Prisons Department will seek the collaboration of the Punjab University, an oldest seat of learning, for the reformation of the prisoners on modern scientific lines to inculcate hatred for crimes in the society besides making them responsible and law-abiding citizens after their release from jail.

It was stated here Thursday by Inspector General of Prisons Punjab Mirza Shahid Saleem Baig at a meeting with Vice Chancellor PU Prof Dr. Muhammad Zakaria Zakar.

IG said that the faculty, PhD and M. Phil students of Psychology, Applied Psychology, Social Work and Sociology departments can play vital role for the reformation of prisoners with the help of their modern knowledge and expertise.

He said that Prisons Department will welcome them to various jails of their choice and focal person will be deployed for co-ordination with the faculty.

Mirza Shahid Saleem said that female PU faculty will be fully encouraged to deliver thought provoking lectures to women prisoners at Central Jail Kot Lakhpat Lahore and Women Jail, Multan for inculcating the spirit of law abiding citizens and help diminish the emotional sentiments which he added is one of the major causes of commission of crime in the society.

VC Prof Dr. Zakaria Zakar welcoming the IG at new campus said that PU will provide all best possible assistance and co-operation to Punjab Prisons Department and PU faculty will visit the jails to improve the image of the prisons and suggest a set of proposals for further betterment of the inmates.

He said that in present era the status of any country is now determined with the level of protection of human rights. He stressed the urgent need for strictly adhering to the implementation of human rights laws.

He said that a meeting of the concerned faculties will be convened soon to work out a viable strategy to accede to the request of the Prisons Department and asked the IG to depute one of the DIG Jail to represent the department in the meetings to finalize the arrangements for regular visits to jails.

VC said that majority of the prisoners are under matriculate what they need is proper education and counseling by the highly qualified experts and PU will provide this expertise free of cost.

He accepted the offer of IG for conducting surprise visit to any of the prisons in the Punjab for inspection and checking the quality of food, cleanliness in kitchen and store and medical facilities besides environment in and around the jails.

Earlier, IG delivering a special lecture to the students of the Institute of Communication Studies about the working of his department said that chicken six days in a week is being served to over 50,390 prisoners housed in the 41 various jails of the province.

He said that one the best menu has been prepared on the recommendation of the food and technology department of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad.

He said technical education besides other academic including religious short and long duration courses are being offered to prisoners with the help of TEVTA Punjab and Allama Iqbal Open University and those who qualify the exams are given special remission in their sentences.

In response to a question, he said in prevailing circumstances overall security has been beefed up across the province and  modern jammers installed at all jails He replied to the volley of questions asked by the students.

Later, Incharge Institute of Communication Studies Prof Dr.Noshina Saleem and Senior Faculty Member Dr.Waqar Ch thanked him for visiting the department and briefing the students about the activities of prisons department.

VC presented a bouquet of flowers and souvenir to Inspector General Prisons.