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Major Initiatives

Construction of New Jails

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There are 32 jails functional in Punjab with an accommodation capacity of 21,527 prisoners and 12 new jails are in construction process. The basic purpose of setting up new jails is to minimize operational burden on the existing jails and to cope with over-crowding and clustering.
 
  Name of Central Jails Capacity
  High Security Prison (Southern Punjab) at Sahiwal 1000
  High Security Prison (Northern Punjab) at Mianwali 1000
  High Security Barracks in Central Jails  
  High Security Barracks in Central Jail, Lahore 76
  High Security Barracks in Central Jail, Rawalpindi (under construction) 76
  High Security Barracks in Central Jail, Faisalabad 76
  High Security Barracks in Central Jail, Multan 76
  Name of District/Sub Jails  
  Bhakkar 1000
  Hafizabad 1000
  Khanewal 1000
  Lodhran 1000
  Layyah (Non-Residential Portion) 1000
  Narowal 1000
  Okara 500
  Pakpattan 500
  Rajanpur 1000
  Sub Jail, Shujabad 500
  Total Capacity  10804
   

Prisons Management Information System (PMIS)

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A PC-I for the establishment of Prisons Management Information System as a pilot project at the District Jail, Lahore, with an estimated cost of about 30 million rupees, is under scrutiny at Home Department. The project envisions to automate all aspects of prison functionality from registration of interviews, maintaining database  of prisoners, inmates medical profiles, housing and confinement, court production, HR, stock and inventory management to the management of finance and accounts.
   

Shaheed Package

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Government of the Punjab has sanctioned Shaheed Package for Prison Officers / Officials that are martyr in encounters with terrorists including death in a bomb blast and riots in jails (the package is not offered to those officials who die in an accident). They shall be awarded compensation of Rs.2 Million from compensation fund and Rs.1 Million from the Punjab Prisons Foundation Fund, provided that Home Department may recommend a higher grant for gazette officers in suitable cases.
   

Prison Foundation

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The establishment of Punjab Prisons Foundation, on the analogy of Police Foundation has been setup for the welfare of staff and their families. The matter regarding activation of the Foundation was discussed in detail on December 26, 2009 under the Chairmanship of Home Secretary Punjab and a strategy was chalked out in consultation with the representatives of the Law & Finance Departments. The Home Department, then forwarded the case (refer to Memo No.SO (Dev)HD/4-53/2008 dated 09.06.2012) for its registration and further necessary action to  S&GAD (elaborate) Department (Regulation Wing).
   

Mobile Jammers

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Following the militant attack on Bannu prison, the Punjab Prisons has demanded the Federal Government to provide mobile phone jamming system in jails to avoid any unfortunate future incident. In this regard, the request for cellular jamming in jails has been made to ISI through Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Defense. Presently, mobile phone jamming system is installed at Kot Lakpat Central Jail, Lahore. The project is being implemented at Central Jail Rawalpindi as well.
   

Installation of PCO's

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The plan to set up PCO's in jails is under consideration of the Government. However, this facility would be restricted to casual prisoners who are confined in jail for minor crimes. Proper record of the calls to their family members or lawyers would be maintained by the jail authorities.
   

Helpline 1124

  

The objectives of the helpline 1124 is to provide access to families and visitors of prisoners to record their complaints regarding dealing/behavior of Jail staff, delay in prisoners meetings, absence of Jail Superintendent outside the jail gate to listen to visitors between 11:00-AM to 12:00-PM and general complaints about prisoners. 

  

Provision of Waiting Sheds

  
Government of the Punjab has established waiting sheds in all jails of Punjab in order to facilitate the inmates and visitors. Waiting sheds for Central Jail Mianwali, Central Jail Rawalpindi, District Jail Gujrat and District Jail Jhang are under development.

Construction/renovation of waiting sheds have been completed in the following jails of Punjab:

  
  • Borstal I& J Jail,  Bahawalpur
  • Central Jail, Bahawalpur 
  • Central Jail, D.G. Khan 
  • Central Jail, Faisalabad 
  • Central Jail, Gujranwala
  • Central Jail, Lahore 
  • Central Jail, Multan 
  • Central Jail, Sahiwal 
  • District Jail, Attock 
  • District Jail, Bahawalnagar 
  • District Jail, Faisalabad 
  • District Jail, Jhelum
  • District Jail, Kasur
  • District Jail, Lahore
  • District Jail, Mandi Bahaudin
  • District Jail, Multan
  • District Jail, Muzaffargarh
  • District Jail, Sargodha
  • District Jail, Shahpur
  • District Jail, Sheikhupura
  • District Jail, Sialkot
  • District Jail, Toba Take Singh
  • District Jail, Vehari
  • Women Jail, Multan
 

Training of Staff

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Officers of all ranks as per seniority are being nominated for the courses at MPDD and NMC while subordinate officers / officials from all ranks as per their seniority are nominated for the courses at NAPA /PPSTI which is a mandatory requirement for their promotion. According to the requirements, training centers have been established at regional Level for conducting the basic training courses of warders.
  • At Elite Police Training School, Lahore, 99 Jail Warders have been selected for Elite Training.
  • A training program of weapon handling and combat tacts of two batches of Warders (33-36) by 111 Brigade has been started since June, 2012.
   

Independent Medical Cadre

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To improve health care management of prisoners confined in the Punjab jails, the Chief Minister Punjab has approved a summary for creation of Independent Medical Cadre in the Punjab Prisons. The detail of posts for Medical Officers is as under:
  Name of Post Pay Scale No. of Posts    
  Chief Medical Officer BS-20 1    
  Senior Medical Officer BS-18 9    
  Medical Officer BS-17 11    
  Dental Surgeon BS-17 4    
  Psychiatrist BS-17 4    
  Pharmacist BS-17 1    
  Nurses BS-14 32    
  Dental Technician BS-09 16    
  X-Ray Operator BS-06 17    
  Dispenser (Male) BS-06 37    
  Lab Assistant BS-06 32    
   

Pay Package and Up-gradation

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The previous Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, visited Central Jail Lahore and Central Jail Rawalpindi during his tenure and passed various orders regarding management of prisons and prisoners. He issued directions to the concerned authorities of the Punjab Government for upgradation of pay scales of the Prison Officials/Officers and to increase their pay packages on the analogy of the Police Department. In compliance to the orders of the Honorable Chief Justice, Government of the Punjab issued notification of upgradation of Pay Scales from Assistant Superintendent to I.G Prisons and increase in pay packages (one initial pay in addition) for all ranks (vide Government of the Punjab, Home Department, Lahore’s Notifications No.SO (Prs) 18-24/2009 dated 26th September 2009). The detail of up-graded basic pay scales of Prisons Officers is as under:
  Rank Previous Pay Scale Up-graded Pay Scale
  I.G Prisons BS-20 BS-21
  DIGs Prisons BS-19 BS-20
  Superintendent  Central Jails BS-18 BS-19
  Superintendent District Jails BS-17 BS-18
  Deputy Superintendent Jails BS-16 BS-17
  Assistant Superintendent Jails BS-14 BS-16