Lahore High Court (LHC) acted upon the petition to revamp Punjab’s prisons.
LHC ordered to establishment of women’s prisons to safeguard the honor of women.
The court ordered it to focus on the rehabilitation of the prisoners released on a condition.
Punjab government is forced to revamp the prisons.

Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh made a remarkable decision to protect the rights of women prisoners currently confined in men’s prisons. The decision was made to protect the rights of women and to ensure their dignity and safety. The Lahore High Court (LHC) has ordered the administration to establish women’s jails in Lahore, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi.

Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh also talked about the mental health of the prisoners. He said that there should be separate wards or hospitals for mentally disabled prisoners. He said that Multan and Rawalpindi must have such treatments for the psycho paths criminals, where they get specialized treatment for their mental illness. At present, these prisoners are sent to the Punjab Institute of Mental Health.

Moreover, Justice Abid Aziz clarified that the decision is made so that these people should also do some good for society. In his decision, he stressed that the prisoners must be taught enough about the major skills. There should be prison education so that the system can better prepare prisoners for reintegration into society. In addition, it is a great opportunity for the prisoners to grow personally and professionally and transform their lives for some good.

The court has clarified that the decision is imposed on Parole prisoners, who are released on the condition that they will serve the community in the later part of their sentence. However, the court has also been aware of the misuse of the parole laws. The court was informed that many parole prisoners, are forced to serve the domestic duties of some officials. That is humiliating and reduces the self-esteem of such prisoners. Justice recommended that such individuals then engage in community service, industries, or commercial institutions that will help foster the self-worth of prisoners.

The court also said that for those prisoners who are in prison for a long time and reach the end of their sentences, there should be open confinement with less security so that the individuals can take smooth steps toward society. It will help them forget the stigma of confinement and help them reintegrate into society.

A proposal was also made to make an Electronic Prisoner File Management System. The motive behind creating this system is to ensure transparency and efficiency. It is proposed that this digital system would help in integrating the criminal’s record with NADRA and, where possible, would enable trials through video links.

In the same hearing, the congestion in Rawalpindi Central Jail was also discussed. To resolve the issue, the Justice ordered the establishment of a prison in Islamabad to reduce the congestion in Rawalpindi’s Jail.

Justice further ordered the Punjab Prison’s Department to align their external inspection policies with the United Nations Nelson Mandela Rules. It was further added that there should be a well-trained staff to deal with the dangerous psychopaths that can also harm themselves. The court asked for enhanced training sessions for the officers who will be part of the treatment of the parole prisoners. It was also suggested that the parole prisoners should be assigned responsibilities that are in accordance with their education, skill and age to ensure meaningful employment opportunities.

The court also ordered the Punjab government to speed up the ramping of the Jails, Infrastructure improvement and officer training. All the decision was made after getting a petition by Rida Qazi, who highlighted the ill-treatment done to such prisoners in Jails. The overall judgment encapsulates the need for a more transparent, humane and rehabilitative prison system in Punjab.