KARACHI, March 27: The government has to solve on priority the problem of production of under-trial prisoners (UTPs) in the court and in case of women and juveniles, courts can also be set up within jails for speedy disposal of cases.

This was recommended in a report of Inspection Committee to Provincial Ombudsman Justice (retd) Haziq-ul-Khairi on the prevailing conditions in women and juvenile prisons of Karachi, Larkana and Sukkur.

The four-member team comprising Mehtab Akbar Rashidi, Dr Ashraf Siddiqui, Shamim Kazmi and Farina Mushir visited women and juvenile prisons of Karachi, Larkana and Sukkur and observed various problems of court production, medical facilities, food quality, sanitary conditions, sexual harassment and rehabilitation.

Regarding court production of UTPs in Larkana Jail, the report says that women from different districts are languishing in jail for years as they are hardly produced before their respective courts owing to lack of transportation and guards.

The committee recommended that by improving the transport facility the complaints of extortion by police/jail staff for their production will be reduced.

The report points out that though the government has established a judicial complex inside the jail premises in Karachi to facilitate early disposal of cases, the number of judges appointed is insufficient which need to be increased to ensure quick disposal of cases.

The committee recommended that vocational training is essential to keep women and juvenile occupied and to spend their time in positive activities. However, the committee felt that since government is unable to provide funds, NGOs should be involved in this activity, to provide sewing and embroidery machines, to provide raw material and to arrange for training in the required skills.

About foreigners’ prisoners, the report says that those who have served their sentences should be provided air tickets for repatriation to their respective countries with the help of some NGOs or embassies of their countries to lessen the burden on jails.

The members of the committee observed that the facility of meetings between family members of the prisoners in general and women and juvenile in particular are unsatisfactory and embarrassing as no sanctity of privacy is maintained. Under the present setup, prisoners sit on one side of the fence and their family members are on the other side, shouting to make each other heard.

The committee suggested that possibility of providing Intercom facility can be explored for communication between prisoners and their families.

The report recommends that religious teaching must be ensured and a dedicated teacher well versed with the teachings of the Quran and Hadith with translation should be provided in each jail.

Regarding sanitation conditions in prisons, the report says that toilets need to be reconstructed possibly with modern flush system to keep the inside atmosphere clean and free from foul smell.

Periodical lectures on health and personal hygiene be arranged, which will motivate prisoners to keep their surroundings clean, it added.

About food quality in prisons, the committee suggested that the budget of food must be increased and the monotony of menu needs to be avoided and quality of nutrition is to be enhanced. The services of some dietitians can be acquired to fix a new menu.

The committee advised to revise the jail manual as per the requirement of present time or at least it should be implemented in letter and spirit.

The report also said that jails should be opened to the students of law, sociology, psychology, medical students and teachers, who may be encouraged to devote some of their time as a national service, by talking to prisoners and providing them information on human behaviour, religion, morality, hygiene and other aspects of human life.—PPI