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Sindh’s 23 prisons have 18440 inmates

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Sindh’s 23 prisons have 18440 inmates
Sindh Chief Secretary Mumtaz Ali Shah and Federal Ombudsman Tahir Shahbaz chairing meeting on Prison Reforms

The Prison Management Information System will be launched in July; a high security prison will be established in Thatta – Sindh Chief Secretary

Karachi: There are currently 18,440 inmates including 193 women and 175 juveniles lodged in 23 prisons of Sindh.

The provincial government has initiated vaccinating the prisoners and prison staff against the Covid-19 and so far 4,350 inmates and 1,222 staff of the prison department have been vaccinated. All new inmates are tested for the coronavirus.

This information was given in a meeting on prison reforms, held at Sindh Secretariat under the joint chairmanship of Provincial Chief Secretary Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah and Federal Ombudsman Syed Tahir Shahbaz on Tuesday.

The meeting was attended by Federal Ombudsman’s Senior Advisor Syed Anwar Haider, Senior Advisor Ejaz Qureshi, Member In-charge Sindh AD Khawaja, IG Prisons and other officials of Sindh Home Department.

The meeting was briefed about the reforms made in the jails of the province.

Chief Secretary Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah said that reforms were being introduced in all the jails of province. The Department of Education, Health, Social Welfare and Civil Society are working for the reforms. “Oversight committees have also been formed under the prison reforms” he told adding that the oversight committees include the judiciary, civil society, education and health experts and philanthropists.

Mumtaz Ali Shah further stated that the Prison Management Information System (PMIS) would be launched in July in 23 jails of the province. “The PMIS will improve the monitoring and administration of the prison department,” he added.

It was informed that Mirpurkhas Jail has also been given the status of Central Jail. Prisoners are offered a variety of training courses, including fine arts, English, computer, beautician, carpentry, handicraft, and more.

Chief Secretary Sindh told the Federal Ombudsman that a High Security Prison would be established in Thatta and the Land Utilization Department had been tasked to identify land for four new jails.

IG prison informed the meeting that Rs.1 billion had been earmarked for the rehabilitation and repair of existing jails during current financial year.

Federal Ombudsman Syed Tahir Shahbaz said he would submit report on these reforms to the Supreme Court. (PR)

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