Security of prisons: plan chalked out to convert jail police into special force

Sindh Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Jail, Ayaz Soomro said that a plan has been chalked out to convert jail police into the special force not only to ensure security of prisons but to replace Frontier Constabulary. He was speaking at the first passing out parade of 4th warders training course held at Prisons Staff Training Institute Nara Jail Hyderabad on Thursday.
In this batch around 170 policemen completed their six months training who would be posted in different prisons of Sindh. He said that under this plan all the security measures/strategies inside and outside prisons were being changed and strengthened enough to cope with the emergency. He said that recently the jail police have been provided them with latest weapons at the cost of Rs 34 million and the process of their professional training has also been launched to make them strong enough to face the situation.
He said that in present circumstance and specially after the incident that took place at Central Jail Bannu, four prisons in Sindh have been declared sensitive due to imprisonment of around 1000 militants there. He said that the Jail Department has its own force of 3500 personnel while 500 personnel would be inducted shortly. He claimed that all prisons including Central Jails Hyderabad and Sukkur were completely under the control of administration and the incidents of revolt and occupying the roofs of jail building by prisoners now have became the story of the past. He said the peddling of narcotics, mobile phone and other illegal items in the jails were prevented and the prisoners having provided the facility of telephone legally.
He said that we have upgraded the jail police at per standard of Sindh Police in all respects and by virtue of their salaries it would further be upgraded at the level of Motorway Police, consequently we expect the reciprocal services from them. He said that computer centres, libraries, technical training centres of different trades, adult literacy centres have been set up in the prisons and announced that in case any prisoner who passed diploma in computer would be benefited with the remission of 2-3 months from his sentence. Besides, providing Video Conferencing, PCO facility in prisons are the unique achievements of this government. He said that it was also first time that this government has provided CNIC Cards to the prisoners.