Haripur prison needs assessed

HARIPUR: The KP government is making all-out efforts for the reformation of jail inmates so that they could lead the life as law-abiding and self-dependent citizens, said an official on Monday.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Abid paid a visit to the Haripur Prison wherein he was accompanied by the members of the oversight committee which included Gulnaz Rasheed, clinical psychologist Sahira Bibi and rights activist Muhammad Sadaqat Khan.

The committee headed by ADC visited the jail hospital, psychiatry and general wards, barracks of women and juveniles and inquired about the problems and needs of the prisoners. Speaking to prisoners, the ADC Muhammad Abid said that the KP government was committed to the reformation of the prisoners, especially the juveniles, and was directing its resources to equip them with education, different livelihood skills and psychological rehabilitation.

He said the problems shared by the jail administration and inmates would be taken up with the provincial government for early solutions. On the occasion, female prisoners asked the ADC for providing warm clothes as the winter had set in and they were short of sweaters. The official assured them of making arrangements for providing them with warm clothes.

Earlier, Superintendent Haripur Prison Umair Khan briefed the oversight committee about the inmates of the jail, rehabilitation of prisoners, education, health and skill development activities that were underway.

The superintendent informed the committee members that on the directives of inspector general prisons KP, the Haripur jail authorities had opened a detoxification centre for those inmates who were involved in drug addiction.

He said that services of psychiatrist and psychological counselling were being provided to the registered patients in groups and the process would continue till their recovery. The official shared the requirements with the ADC and the committee members pertaining to dentistry and psychiatry wards.