Prisoners' condition in jails: SC asks AGP, provincial AGs to submit reply

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the attorney general and the advocate generals of all provinces to file reply on the ombudsman report on condition of prisoners in jails. The court has summoned home secretaries and the inspector generals of prisons of all provinces.
A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, heard the suo motu on the condition of jails in Pakistan. Hafiz Ahsan Khokhar submitted the report on behalf of the federal ombudsman. According to the report, there are 98 jails in Pakistan and sanctioned strength of prisoners is 56,353, while at present 78,160 prisoners are languishing there. The number of convicted prisoners is 25,195 while under-trial prisoners are 48,780. The number of women prisoners is 1,955, juvenile prisoners are 1,225 and condemned prisoners are 4,688.
According to the report, there are 41 jails (9 central and 32 district jails) in Punjab and sanctioned strength of prisoners is 33,235, while at present 48,760 prisoners are languishing there. The number of convicted male prisoners is 17,351 while number of convicted female prisoners is 359, and under-trial prisoners are 26,522. The number of women prisoners is 961, juvenile prisoners are 629 and condemned prisoners are 3,890.
There are 25 jails in Sindh and sanctioned strength of prisoners is 12,413, while at present 18,420 prisoners are languishing there. The number of convicted prisoners is 3,914 while under-trial prisoners are 13,982. The number of women prisoners is 192, juvenile prisoners are 164 and condemned prisoners are 525.
According to the report, there are 21 jails (6 central and 15 district jails) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and sanctioned strength of prisoners is 8,395, while at present 10,358 prisoners are languishing there. The number of convicted male prisoners is 2,993 while number of female prisoners is 218, and under-trial prisoners are 7,150. The number of juvenile prisoners is 382 and condemned prisoners are 215.
There are 11 jails (5 central and 6 district jails) in Balochistan and sanctioned strength of prisoners is 2,585, while at present 2,158 prisoners are languishing there. The number of convicted male prisoners is 937 while number of female prisoners is 20, and under-trial prisoners are 1,126. The number of juvenile prisoners is 50 and condemned prisoners are 58.
The report recommended that the provincial governments may be directed to constitute and notify oversight committee headed by district and sessions judge for every jail and the committee members be authorized to inspect jails at any time without prior notices. The provincial ombudsmen will facilitate and monitor the working of the oversight committees of jails.
Law and Justice Commission together with advocate generals and provincial ombudsmen should review and submit proposals for significant expansion of probation / parole facilities to reduce pressure on accommodation facilities in jails.
The provincial governments should build jails in every district headquarter, and the federal government should do this in Islamabad. Drug users and mentally insane prisoners be kept in drug clinics/homes and provided with medical treatment.
The family members of prisoners, particularly women and children, in jails should have right to visit jail once a week on pre-notified days. The provincial governments should ensure that there are proper facilities in visitor rooms of the jails.
The provincial governments should review and enhance the transportation and escorting facilities for prisoners to the premises of courts so that prisoners are produced on every date of hearing without fail.
As a moral duty, Higher Education Commission of Pakistan should allocate every jail to nearby university or a major educational institution for providing free education to the prisoners, particularly women and children, and impart skill training to them with the help of TEVTA and other skill training institutions.
The provincial governments should computerize data of all accused as well as under-trial prisoners, particularly women and children, and update it on daily basis, and ensure biometric verification by NADRA.
The committee formed by the federal ombudsman is providing assistance to prisoners through philanthropists. Such committees may be encouraged by the prison administrations, and allowed to ensure that the assistance in kind or cash is personally delivered to prisoners by donors or committees.