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Punjab jails house 160 percent more inmates

* Kot Lakhpat Jail can house 1,053 inmates, but presently houses 3,890 prisoners
* Faisalabad Central Jail has space for 1,190 prisoners, but houses 2,877

By Muhammad Aayan

LAHORE: Overcrowding in Punjab prisons has become a longstanding problem and around 160 percent more prisoners are incarcerated in the province’s prisons.

Prisoners are risked to contract skin diseases, tuberculosis and hepatitis. Reportedly, prisoners react aggressively when they are packed into cubicles, leading to violent behaviour and other psychological disorders.

According to statistics, Kot Lakhpat Jail can house 1,053 inmates, but the jail presently accommodates 3,890 prisoners. The Gujranwala Jail has a capacity of 913 prisoners, but it houses more than 3,586 inmates. Similarly, Sahiwal Jail has a capacity for 1,750 inmates, but 4,315 jailbirds are kept there.

Kasur District Jail can accommodate 444 inmates, but 1,751 prisoners are kept there. The Lahore District Jail houses 4,644 inmates against an authorised capacity of 1,050.

Sheikhupura District Jail has a capacity for 590 inmates, but 2,347 prisoners are kept there. Sialkot District jail has a capacity for 722 inmates, but houses 2,364 jailbirds.

The Rawalpindi Central Jail can house 1,994 prisoners, but it is home to more than 5,233 inmates. The Attock District Jail has a capacity for 539 inmates, but keeps 789 prisoners. The Gujrat District Jail has a capacity for 385 inmates, but has 1,396 jailbirds. The Jhelum District Jail has a room for 416 prisoners, but 805 inmates are kept here. The Mandi Bahauddin District Jail has a space for 279 inmates, but houses 921. The Chakwal Sub-jail has a capacity for 142 inmates, but 219 are kept there.

The Faisalabad Central Jail has a space for 1,190 prisoners, but houses 2,877. The Mianwali Central Jail has a capacity for 1,050 inmates, but is presently home to 1,783 prisoners. The Faisalabad District Jail has a room for 853 inmates, but 2,025 are kept there.

The Jhang District Jail has a room for 916, but is currently home to 1,896. The Sargodha District Jail has a space for 563 inmates, but more than 1722 prisoners are housed there. The Shahpur District Jail has an accommodation for 292 prisoners, but 960 inmates are held there.

Toba Tek Singh District Jail has a space for 500 jailbirds, but 1,024 are held there. The Vehari District Jail has a capacity for 500 inmates, but houses 1,011. The Multan Central Jail has an accommodation for 1,460 but 2,862 prisoners are held there. The Bahawalpur Central Jail has a room for 1,334 inmates, but 2,265 are kept there.

The Dera Ghazi Khan Central Jail has a room for 582 inmates, but 1,308 prisoners are housed there. The Bahawalnagar District Jail has an accommodation for 347 jailbirds, but 569 are kept there. Similarly, The Multan District Jail has a room for 229 inmates, but 1,119 jailbirds are confined there.

The Muzaffargarh District Jail has a capacity for 180 prisoners, but more than 713 inmates are kept there. The Rahim Yar Khan District Jail has an accommodation for 316 inmates, but 919 prisoners are detained there. The Rajanpur District Jail has a capacity for 114 inmates, but 361 are housed there.

Talking to Daily Times, Inspector General (Prisons) Kokab Nadeem Warraich said 14 new jails were being constructed in the province. He admitted that the overcrowding had become a longstanding problem. He said Punjab’s 32 jails had a capacity for 21,527 prisoners, but more than 56,032 inmates were being kept there.

He said the construction

of jails in Bhakkar and Okara was almost complete and would be handed over to the Prisons Department within 18 months. He said 12 more jails would be constructed within 3 to 4 years.

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