Govt to expedite jail reforms
Prison rules to be amended over claims of unaddressed grievances against officials
PHOTO: AFP
LAHORE:
To support fair and expeditious resolution of the inmates’ grievances, the provincial government has proposed a ‘Complaints Redressal System’ in a draft recently prepared to amend the Punjab Prison Rules 2020.
The draft was prepared following claims of inmates that their complaints were not forwarded to the authorities concerned as the officials about whom they complained were part of the jail management. A comprehensive mechanism has been devised in a new chapter for promptly redressing the complaints. The inmates earlier used to complain to the officials who visited the jails, prison superintendents and the district and session judges.
Women prisoners to be educated
Prison rule reforms include centres with teachers for illiterate inmates
Jails suffer from overcrowding, sexual abuse of juvenile and women prisoners. PHOTO: INP
LAHORE:
Punjab government has prepared a draft to amend the Prison Rules, under which women prisoners will be provided the opportunity to get basic education and borrow books from education centres established in prisons.
Several rules and sub-clauses have been included in the Punjab Prison Rules 2020.
Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar had expressed his intention to reform prison rules last year. Provincial Law Minister Raja Basharat formed a working group led by PTI MPA Aisha Nawaz Chaudhry, which reviewed the rules along with the stakeholders and proposed amendments. The meetings were attended by representatives of the civil society, prison officials and advocate general.