Correctional Facility Not Punishment House: CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif to Transform Jail Reforms into Genuine Reformatories
Lahore, 03 July 2026: Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif chaired a high-level meeting on jail reforms, in which she was presented with a detailed plan for jail reforms; besides resolving their overcrowding crisis. A video review of Nankana Sahib Jail was also presented in the meeting, and funds amounting to Rs 1.3 billion were approved for its early completion. She set a target to complete Sahiwal and Nankana Sahib jails by September this year; and noted that construction of 27 additional barracks is underway at a rapid pace to reduce burden on jails. She was apprised by the relevant authorities that construction work on new jails in Chiniot and Murree is also progressing rapidly.
Chief Minister Punjab said that jail is not a punishment house, but a correctional facility; as they are committed to transform jail dungeons into genuine reformatories. She added that free legal aid is being provided to poor and helpless inmates to fight their cases through a formalized “Legal Aid Agency;” and a system for continuous and regular inspection of jail hospitals has been implemented by the Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC). She directed the authorities concerned that 30 prison vans used for inmate transfers should be air-conditioned (AC) and remodeled; so that they feature washrooms, camera screens, and back-support seats for prisoners. A major decision was taken in the meeting to provide mattresses to male prisoners in their wards; and an optimal and standard weekly diet chart was also presented in the meeting.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif noted that mental health and overall health infrastructure for prisoners in jails have been modernized. She directed the relevant authorities to ensure regular and strict inspections of cooking arrangements and hygiene in jails. She said that ‘Chief Minister Prisoner Welfare Stores’ have been established for the convenience of inmates; and on her directions, special food supplements and nutrition programs have been initiated for incarcerated mothers and children up to 6 years of age. She added that 03 new and state-of-the-art women’s jails are being established in Lahore, Faisalabad, and Rawalpindi; and comfortable waiting sheds, transport carts, and family rooms in jails have been reactivated for inmates’ families. She underscored that special focus is being placed on education and social training of children at Juvenile Borstal Houses in Faisalabad and Bahawalpur; and proper arrangements for bedding, play areas, vocational training, and education have been made for child inmates in jails.
Chief Minister Punjab said that under ‘CM Punjab Literacy Program,’ 4,141 prisoners in jails are registered to receive education; whereas under ‘One Barrack, One Library’ policy, 472 prisoners have completed matriculation, 367 have completed intermediate, and 140 have completed graduation so far. She was also apprised that a market-oriented ‘Jail Industry’ is successfully operational in 15 jails across Punjab; and was presented with photographic samples of premium furniture, carpets, tough tiles, and melamine crockery made by prisoners; whereas industries for beauty soap, phenyl, washing powder, LED lights, footballs, gloves, and dressmaking have been established inside jails. Authorities concerned briefed her that practical training is ongoing in mobile phone repair, motorcycle/tractor repair, computer courses, welding, and cooking; and a modern ‘Remission Management System,’ and a free biometric verification system have been implemented for the prisoners in jails. They said that voice and panic alerts, and X-ray systems have also been installed to equip Punjab’s jails with security and technology; as the security and monitoring systems have been further tightened under the Integrated Criminal System Coordination. They added that 11 wards in Lahore and various other districts have been upgraded.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif directed the relevant authorities to upgrade juvenile (underage) jails in the province. She said that she can relate to every single thing in jail because she has seen it all herself; and added that the protection of basic human dignity and rights of prisoners in jails must be ensured at all costs. Earlier, Home Secretary commended the institution’s performance while giving her a detailed briefing on jail reforms in the province. He said that under a rational transfer system, 2,554 prisoners have been shifted to their home-district jails since 2024; and audio and video call facilities are made available to all prisoners across Punjab. He added that total capacity of Punjab’s jails is only 39,000, while the number of prisoners is between 68,000 and 79,000. He noted that jail capacity in Punjab has been increased from 30,000 to 39,000; but the number of Under-Trial Prisoners (UTPs) in jails has surged to 73%. He vowed to further increase jail capacity to 43,718 by 2027; and stated that 05 major jails in Punjab, including Faisalabad, D.G. Khan, and Pindi Bhattian, have been fully solarized; and from January 2026 to June 2026, a record 91,266 prisoners have underwent medical screening and treatment.
Chief Minister Punjab was also briefed that 74 professional psychologists have been hired to improve inmates’ mental health in jails; as prisoners are being provided standard meals 03 times a day, including chicken, seasonal vegetables, and pulses. She was apprised that special and VIP menus are provided to prisoners on all major religious festivals; while provision of special hygiene kits and improved toilets for prisoners is ongoing. They said that prisoners are provided 80 minutes of weekly audio conversation with their families via PCO; while education and religious training are being provided to 30,000 prisoners in Punjab’s jails where sports facilities and gymnasiums have also been established. They further briefed her that work is underway on fast-track trials in courts and on an effective probation and parole system.
