HYDERABAD, Oct 30: The District Prison Committee (DPC), to convert prisons into reformatories is preparing legal, social, academic, and administrative reforms package, said District Nazim Zafar Rajput, Chairman of the DPC.

Presiding the DPC meeting at his office here on Monday, Nazim said the change in behaviour of prisoners and speedy justice was important to curtail crimes.

He said the DPC, after detailed discussion decided to provide comprehensive reform-oriented package to ensure provision of legal, academic and training facilities to inmates.

The proposed package he said includes setting up legal aid committee for unattended prisoners, relief fund for payment of fine imposed by courts on those who can’t afford it and languishing for long, and revamping technical training infrastructure. It also incorporates agro-based trades in prisons to enable inmates earn decent livelihood once they were freed he said and added:

“Workshops, seminar for behavioural change of prisoners, medical camps, and provision of other facilities will be made available.”

He said the committee unanimously recommended to the Sindh government to appoint a reconciliation officer at each district prison and central jail to resolve minor disputes without indulging in litigation and avoiding unnecessary burden on courts and prisons.

He said the problem of overcrowding in Central Jail Hyderabad had been resolved after the construction of district jails at Dadu, Sanghar and Badin but the problem of proper and prompt medical facilities at Central and District Jails of Hyderabad were lacking.

A sub-committee headed by former president Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Haji Mohammad Yaqoob had been constituted to coordinate with pharmaceutical companies for getting life medicines, he said.

Zafar Rajput directed the superintendents of Central and Nara Jails Hyderabad to list urgent problems to resolve them immediately. He also directed implementation of jail manual and production of prisoners in courts on date of hearing.