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ith very few exceptions, the jail staff across the Punjab are accused of corruption, favoritism, abuse of authority and maltreatment of prisoners. The relatives and visitors of the inmates, say, Lahore’s Central Jail, Kot Lakhpat, is no exception. It appears that the efforts to reform and improve the jails have had little impact. A change is visible only in a few prisons, where competent and experienced officers have been appointed as superintendents.
The Home Department seems indifferent to the plight of the prisoners in its crowded prisons — the Central (Kot Lakhpat) Jail and the District (Camp) Jail — in the city. It has been repeatedly pointed out that a city of more than 120 million people needs more than the two jails it currently has. No wonder the inmates are often forced to live in ridiculously small barracks and cells and in unhygienic conditions.
The gravity of the situation can be gauged from the fact that Camp Jail, with a design capacity of about 3,000, currently houses about 7,000 prisoners.
Sources say inquiries following certain incidents at the Kot Lakhpat Jail and interviews with prisoners and their relatives lend credence to the allegations that the facilities have become a hotbed of corruption. Tariffs have allegedly been fixed to allow meetings with relatives, supply of goods and visits to preferred barracks. ‘Protocol’ is accorded to the influential detainees. Some of them are kept at the jail hospital without being ill. They are also allowed to hold ‘VIP meetings.’ Some prisoners have access to the mobile phones.
It is alleged that much of the food sent to the prisoners by their relatives is stolen by the jail staff.
The jail administration’s treatment of the prisoners makes it impossible for the prisoners to live in peace. Many of the relatives complain against the jail staff, mostly without a desirable outcome.
Speaking to The News on Sunday, Camp Jail Superintendent Zaheer Ahmed Virk denies large-scale or widespread corruption at the facility. He says the perception is wrong and not founded in fact. He categorically states that the allegations of inmates’ relatives being asked for money and inhumane treatment of prisoners are false.
The superintendent also says that the prisoners are being provided with the best food possible. He says no one is allowed to use mobile phones. Virk, however, admits that attempts are often made to bring in narcotics and the jail staff approached to help in this regard. “The drugs are hidden in food packets. Novel ways are adopted to carry out the task. That’s why food packets are thoroughly checked. No one is allowed to receive ration beyond the sanctioned amount.”
Virk says that even though the Camp Jail currently has many more prisoners that its design capacity, elaborate arrangements have been made to provide them with standard facilities in accordance with the Jail Manual. “In view of the scorching heat this summer, we ensure that air coolers as well as water coolers are provided in every barrack and cell.”
The jail hospital has been upgraded with state-of-the-art machinery and four doctors are available 24/7 to provide medical aid, he adds. “Suitable inventories of essential medicines are available round-the-clock,” says Virk.
The superintendent claims that meetings of prisoners with their relatives are strictly monitored. The goods the inmates receive are thoroughly checked. Closed-circuit cameras keep tabs on their movements.
“One cannot entirely rule out corruption in the jail staff. However, strict action is taken against those found guilty. FIRs are lodged for criminal behaviour. Moreover, strict departmental action is taken against the delinquents,” he adds.
Virk says a Smart Library Project has been launched in jails across the Punjab to support education and encourage a reading habit. The initiative aims to foster a passion for learning, rehabilitate inmates and help in character-building.
He says he has recently taken strict action against some staff members who were found guilty of corruption. “I don’t hesitate to get FIRs registered against the corrupt elements in the staff,” he says.
Amjad Hussain, a relative of a prisoner, alleges, however, that corruption is rampant at the Central Jail. He says money is paid even for the delivery of food in the jail. If they do not pay the staff, he says, the prisoners are subjected to inhuman treatment. The detainees who grease the palms of jail staff, he says, get full protocol.
Hameed Khan, whose brother is an under-trial prisoner, says, “I have filed several complaints against the jail staff but no one has taken notice. The authorities seem to be least interested in protecting the rights of the prisoners.
Raza Akhtar says his cousin has been confined to a painfully small cell where there is no air conditioner. “A ceiling fan is not enough in Lahore’s hot summer,” he pleads.
The writer is a print and broadcast journalist