Facilities being provided to prisoners at Timergara jail

TIMERGARA: Following directives from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, the district Jail Timergara officials took steps to provide necessary facilities to inmates at the prison.

Currently, a total of 582 prisoners are languishing at the District Jail Timergara. Of them, 15 are facing the death sentence. There are 22 women prisoners and some juveniles. Talking to this scribe, Jail Superintendent Muhammad Arif Khan said the jail administration had made arrangements to do HIV, HBS, TB, malaria and typhoid tests of the prisoners. He said that 10 water coolers were also being installed in the barracks to provide clean drinking water to the inmates. The official said that 18 ceiling fans were also installed and 32 repaired. Muhammad Arif said an extra water pump had been arranged for smooth supply of water in washrooms and mosque on the premises of the jail.

“We have arranged a generator for provision of uninterrupted power supply to the inmates in case of power outages. A generator installed at the mosque,” he added. Muhammad Arif said separate teachers had been appointed for women prisoners as well as juvenile and male prisoners who taught contemporary and religious education to them. “We are providing textbooks and stationery free of charges to the prisoners, who are interested in getting education,” he said. He said a public library with more than 350 books in English, Urdu and Arabic languages had been established at the prison.

Sewing machines along with sewing kits have been provided to women prisoners for learning embroidery and tailoring, Muhammad Arif said and added that sports kits had been provided to juvenile prisoners and children of women prisoners to play various games. “We have established 25 separate cells being used as quarantine centres where the new prisoners are quarantined for 14 days,” Muhammad Arif said, adding facemasks, sanitizers, soaps and other protective equipment were being provided to prisoners and jail staff to check the spread of Covid-19. A new barrack has been established in the jail for drug addicts having capacity for 50 inmates where the lifesaving drugs are provided to them, he said. Muhammad Arif said a welfare shop and telephone facility had been established inside the jail so that the inmates could contact their near and dear ones. “Water geysers have been installed to provide hot water to prisoners in winter,” he added.