Overcrowded, underfunded, and rife with corruption, its jails serve as an example of how not to run a correctional system, a report by Dr Sakariya Kareem
Pakistan’s prison system is a living testament to the failures of a bureaucratic apparatus that has long struggled to uphold the rule of law and ensure justice.
With facilities consistently operating at over 150 percent capacity, overcrowding has become a hallmark of Pakistan’s correctional facilities.
A staggering 75 percent of the country’s inmates are awaiting trial, many languishing for years in the absence of a fair and timely judicial process.
According to a recent report by Lahore-based Justice Project Pakistan (JPP) titled “Pakistan’s Prison Landscape”, 102,026 inmates crammed into spaces designed for 65,811 in the country, while Karachi Central Prison, operating at an eye-watering 355 percent of capacity.
As a result, Pakistan’s prisons have transformed into overcrowded, underfunded, and overstretched institutions where basic human rights are often trampled.
Instead of rehabilitating offenders and providing a path to reintegration into society, these jails have become hotbeds of suffering, exploitation, and systemic failure.
According to reports, Pakistan’s prisons are holding more than twice the number of inmates they were originally designed to accommodate.
This overwhelming overcrowding has created an environment ripe for abuse, neglect, and human suffering.
With many prisons operating at 152 percent of their capacity, the sheer lack of space leaves inmates with little to no room to move, let alone the opportunity for meaningful rehabilitation.
The cramped conditions not only exacerbate mental health issues but also hinder any hope of reintegration into society upon release.
Overcrowding also leads to an increase in violence within prisons, with inmates often clashing over scarce resources and basic necessities.
The lack of adequate medical care, food, and sanitation creates a breeding ground for disease outbreaks.
In many cases, detainees with pre-existing health conditions, including the elderly, face an untimely death due to inadequate care.
Prisoners with communicable diseases, such as tuberculosis, have to endure unsanitary conditions, making their ailments even worse. Such systemic neglect is a glaring violation of basic human rights.
Perhaps the most glaring issue with Pakistan’s prison system is the fact that a significant majority of the country’s prisoners—approximately 75 percent—are awaiting their day in court.
These individuals have not been convicted of a crime but remain incarcerated, sometimes for years, as they wait for their trial or sentencing.
This waiting period not only violates the basic principle of “innocent until proven guilty” but also undermines the very foundation of justice.
As individuals languish in prison without a verdict, their legal rights are effectively disregarded, leaving them vulnerable to further abuse and mistreatment.
The causes behind this massive backlog are many, ranging from administrative inefficiencies to overburdened courts and slow-moving investigations.
The lack of legal aid for those who cannot afford representation only compounds the issue, further lengthening the time spent in prison.
In some cases, people who are arrested for minor offences find themselves trapped in the system for years, with little hope of a fair and timely trial.
The inefficiency of Pakistan’s judicial system has been a longstanding problem, and its impact on the prison system is undeniable.
Judges, prosecutors, and other key personnel are often overworked and under-resourced, leading to delays and backlogs.
A case that should take a few months to resolve may stretch on for years, particularly in the absence of strong evidence or investigative oversight.
In some instances, individuals are arrested on flimsy charges, and with no support or legal representation, they are left to wait indefinitely for their trial.
Corruption within the prison system is another factor contributing to its dysfunction.
With prison officials often bribed by influential individuals, some prisoners find themselves subjected to worse treatment than others, while some may even be able to buy their way out of certain conditions.
Bribes for better living conditions, more lenient sentences, or even preferential treatment in terms of food and medical attention are commonplace.
Inmates with connections can exploit these corrupt practices to avoid being punished for bad behaviour or to gain access to privileges denied to others.
At the same time, the lack of effective oversight further facilitates this corruption.
The bureaucracy overseeing Pakistan’s prisons is often entrenched in inefficiency and red tape, making it difficult to implement reforms.
Those within the system who are tasked with maintaining order and implementing change often turn a blind eye to abuses or are themselves complicit in the wrongdoing.
This has led to an environment where justice is not only delayed but is frequently denied altogether.
Furthermore, the lack of proper training for prison staff compounds the problem.
Officers and guards, who often have little understanding of human rights or correctional practices, are ill-equipped to manage the complex dynamics of a prison population.
This deficiency in training and professionalism makes it easier for violence and abuse to flourish unchecked.
While overcrowding and corruption take centre stage in Pakistan’s prison crisis, the lack of focus on rehabilitation also deserves attention.
In a system where the focus is primarily on punishment rather than rehabilitation, inmates often leave prison more hardened and resentful than before.
Instead of providing offenders with the tools to reintegrate into society and avoid reoffending, the prison system often exposes them to further violence, which can exacerbate the problem of recidivism.
Programmes aimed at rehabilitating prisoners—such as vocational training, education, and therapy—are woefully underfunded and few and far between.
As a result, many prisoners are left with no real opportunities for personal growth or reform. Instead, they become a product of their environment, increasing the likelihood that they will continue to engage in criminal behaviour upon release.
Pakistan’s prison system stands as a grim monument to bureaucratic paralysis and judicial inefficiency.
Overcrowded, underfunded, and rife with corruption, its jails serve as an example of how not to run a correctional system.
As long as reform remains an afterthought, the country’s prisons will continue to perpetuate injustice rather than justice, trapping thousands in a system that fails to serve their needs and ultimately damages society as a whole.
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