LAHORE: After a delay of six years or so, the Inspectorate of Punjab Prisons has finalised the PC-I for the establishment of a state-of-the-art Prisons Staff Training College in Sahiwal as part of jail reforms.

As the Punjab government has already allocated Rs50 million for the project, the inspectorate will forward the detailed PC-1 with multiple proposals to the home department which will move it to the Provincial Development Working Party for final approval. Officials say it is likely to be approved in the second week of September.Currently, the prisons department has a training institute named Prisons Staff Training Institute which only caters to the training needs of jail warders (the lowest uniformed rank) within meagre resources and amid a lack of trained instructors.

The department is also running some courses for upper ranks up to the post of superintendent of jail under makeshift arrangements. The training institute even lacks parade ground and modern syllabus.

Similarly, the National Academy for Prisons Administration Lahore, a federal entity, can cater to the need of not more than 30 officials in low ranks due to absence of proper infrastructure.

A senior official told Dawn on Wednesday that the idea to construct a training college over 45 acres adjacent to the Sahiwal Central Jail was first floated in 2008 but the then government showed non-seriousness to approve it. He said the PC-1 was finally finalised after two-year efforts by the present jail authorities to convince the government to allow the only development scheme for 2014-15.

The college, which has been proposed to work directly under the provincial home department, will cater to multiple training needs of the officials ranking from the jail warder to the superintendent as well as ministerial staff of all ranks.

The official said training modes would comprise modern theoretical, physical and technical sessions and a wing of retired army officers to impart commando training to jail officials was also part of the PC-1. The recruitment of instructors including psychologists, lawyers and other staff would be made.

He said one of the proposals was to link promotion of officials to the next rank both in uniformed and ministerial posts with the success in training courses.He said the college commandant having BS-21 would be independent in choosing officials for courses leading to promotion and one of the college members would be member of the Selection Board to stop unnecessary interferences in promotions.

The official further said a six-member committee headed by the headquarters DIG was inspecting all Punjab police and other training institutions for need assessment. Some training institutions including those in the UK were also contacted for getting expertise in the field of training for capacity building of the force, he added.

The official said it was expected that training classes in different scales would begin in June 2015.

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2014