Punjab introduces policy to keep convicts in their home district jails
Pakistan
Relatives of inmates faced financial and logistical difficulties in visiting them at distant jails.
LAHORE (Dunya News) - The Punjab Home Department has introduced a new policy to keep convicted prisoners in jails located within their home districts.
A committee has been formed to devise the procedure for transferring inmates to district jails, and it is expected to finalise its recommendations and plan within a week.
Under the previous system, prisoners sentenced to more than five years in prison were often transferred to central jails, far from their hometowns, causing significant hardships for their families.
Relatives of inmates faced financial and logistical difficulties in visiting them at distant jails.
The former policy also led to overcrowding in central jails, as they were housing more prisoners than their capacity.
With the new measures, district jails are being upgraded to improve security and accommodate inmates, addressing both overcrowding and the challenges faced by prisoners' families.
Notably, death row inmates have already been kept in jails within their respective districts, and industrial setups have been established in all district jails, enabling them to serve hard labor sentences.
