"Now, the prisoners would enjoy punishment days with their families in Chounras (huts) of Badin's Open Jail (prison), and all prisoners would also be trained to cultivate various crops on the open land of the Jail", sources in the Prisons Department told Business Recorder here on Sunday.
The Sindh government has decided to re-open Badin's 'Open Jail' in a meeting held a few days back. It was presided over by Minister for Prisons and Law, Ayaz Soomro. Mohammad Aslam has been posted as Superintendent of the Jail.
"The world has only two open prisons--one in France and the other is in Badin district of Sindh" sources added. This prison was closed in the era of President Pervez Musharraf when some disputes rose among the inmates there, sources said.
After decision to re-open Badin's Open Jail, all Jail Superintendents in province have been directed to scrutinise the lists of prisoners who have completed almost 70 percent of their terms of punishment, they said.
The final list of prisoners for Badin Jail would be prepared in the next 20 days and, with the approval of Minister for Prisons, prisoners would be shifted to the 'open jail', sources said.
"The prisoners, who have completed almost 70 percent of their punishment would enjoy their remaining days of the term with their families in huts of Badin's Open Jail", they said.
The authorities of Prison Department held meetings with officials of Agriculture Department and Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam and asked them to provide latest training to the prisoners of Badin Open Jail, sources said.
They said that the area of this open jail is 3032 acres. Prisoners would cultivate various crops on the land, from which Sindh government would get handsome revenue, and prisoners would also get compensation in return of labour job. The Prisons Department released Rs 1 million initially for the "Khardar lines" which would be fixed as the boundary line at open jail. Concerned teams started work on the site in this regard, sources said.
The Minister for Prisons has demanded more Rs 10 million from Sindh government for further development work. A summary in this regard was moved to Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah a few days back, sources said.
The Prison Department would post about 40 staff at the open jail including Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, Senior clerk, Junior clerk, driver, telephone operator, cooks and about 30 warders and head warders, sources added.
Minister for Prisons Ayaz Soomro termed this as another success story of PPP-led Sindh government.
He said that Badin's open jail would be re-opened after about 10 years. It would be functional within next one and half month and prisoners would be shifted there when ten chounras (huts) would be constructed there initially, he added.
He said that the Chief Minister was supporting his ideas about the reforms in Sindh's prisons, and he would approve funds required initially for the Badin's Open Jail. Soomro said that water is already available there. Electricity would also be provided in the next 20 days, and the necessary construction work has been started.
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