Skill centre, other reforms introduced in Abbottabad jail

ABBOTTABAD: Authorities have introduced a number of reforms including technical skill development courses and a computer lab at the Abbottabad district jail recently.

During a visit to the district jail along with the representatives of the civil society organisation Integrated Development, Empowerment, & Advocacy for Livelihood Support (IDEALS), Superintendent of Jail Hamid Azam explained that the jail management had set up a Skill Development Centre for prisoners who were provided latest stitching machines.

The superintendent jail stated that the skill development training under Kamyab Jawan Programme was in progress and a third batch is near completion as two badges of trainings had successfully been completed.

He further said that the best quality cloth bags prepared by the prisoners and a huge quantity of these bags of different sizes are available for marketing, especially for mega malls and stores.

In addition, he said that for children and juveniles, they initiated the literacy programme with the active collaboration of the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) in Abbottabad, which has now been replicated in all the prisons of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The jail hospital having a capacity of 10 beds was one of the achievements of the superintendent jail where two doctors are performing duties.It was told by the superintendent that the hospital is equipped with a laboratory that is providing all sorts of tests.

Showing medicines in the doctors room, he said they were getting regular donations from people belonging to different walks of life.He expressed satisfaction over the provision of medicines as well and said another OPD had been established.

Hamid Azam, while replying to a query, said that the jail has the capacity to accommodate 808 prisoners including 10 women and around 30 juveniles accused of different minor and major cases.

He also said that the jail had enough space for prisoners and presently almost 50 percent space is under utilisation.Established in 1893, Abbottabad jail was reconstructed in the year 2017 after damage during the 2005 earthquake.

Now it includes separate blocks for prisoners, such as Juveniles Block, Women’s Block, etc, a hospital with 10 beds, a masjid, kitchen, canteen, and an administrative block outside the prison’s compound.