* 90,258 prisoners against authorised capacity of 41,365 prisoners in 90 jails
* Punjab has largest percentage of overcrowding, AJK jails not overcrowded
* Number of drug addicts and peddlers increasing in jails
* Large number of prisoners under trial causing overcrowding

www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp

By Aayan Ali

LAHORE: All 90 jails across Pakistan were overcrowded by 118 percent in 2005 and the situation had not changed much in 2006, Interior Ministry sources told Daily Times on Friday.

There are roughly 90,258 prisoners in the 90 jails against an authorised capacity of 41,365 prisoners and jails in the Punjab are overcrowded by 166 percent, the highest percentage of overcrowding in all provinces. There are 54,492 prisoners in Punjab jails against an authorised capacity of 20,527 prisoners. Jails in Sindh are overcrowded by 121 percent, with 22,102 prisoners against an authorised capacity of 10,011 prisoners, jails in the NWFP are overcrowded by 20.84 percent, with 9,767 prisoners against an authorised capacity of 8,082 prisoners, jails in Balochistan are overcrowded by 70 percent, with 3,138 prisoners against an authorised capacity of 1,845 prisoners and jails in the Northern Areas are overcrowded by 64 percent, with 246 prisoners against a capacity of 150 prisoners. There are 513 prisoners in jails in Azad Jammu and Kashmir against an authorised capacity of 750 prisoners.

Sources said the overcrowding was an issue despite an increase in the prisoner capacities of most jails. The total authorised capacity of the 90 jails in 2004 was 35,240, which was increased to 41,365 in 2006, sources said, adding that three new jails were constructed in 2005, increasing the number from 87 in 2004 to 90.

Sources said the number of drug addicts and drug peddlers was also increasing in jails and jail reports of 2003 and 2004 had stated that no special attention had been given to drug addicts and the jail report of 2005 had stated that their number had increased to 7,233, including 304 female prisoners.

Sources said that according to the jail report finalised in March 2006, out of a total 90,258 prisoners 52,587 male prisoners and 1,022 female were under trial; 17,623 male prisoners and 313 female prisoners were convicted; 7,379 male prisoners and 44 female prisoners were on death row and 2,011 male juvenile prisoners and eight female juvenile prisoners.

Sources said the report also stated that Pakistani prisons held 1,919 male foreigners and 110 female foreigners and that the average number of drug addicts and drug peddlers in prisons in 2005 were 6,929 male and 304 female.

Punjab: The report said that in 2005 there were 54,492 prisoners in the province out of which 29,787 male and 589 female prisoners were under trial; 10,130 male and 132 female prisoners were convicted; 6,743 (highest number in all provinces) male and 36 female prisoners were on death row; 1,222 male and eight female prisoners were juveniles; 480 male and 45 female prisoners were foreigners and 5,114 male and 206 female prisoners were drug users and peddlers.

Sindh: Out of the total 22,102 prisoners in the province, 15,823 male and 206 female prisoners were under trial; 2,596 male and 50 female prisoners were convicted; 246 male and two female prisoners were on death row; 326 male prisoners were juveniles; 1,338 (highest in all provinces) male and 70 female prisoners were foreigners and 1,347 male and 98 female prisoners were drug users and peddlers.

NWFP: Out of a total 9,767 prisoners, 5,248 male and 202 female prisoners were under trial; 3,219 male and 115 female prisoners were convicted; 186 male and five female prisoners were on death row; 341 male prisoners were juveniles; 33 male and four female prisoners were foreigners and 414 male prisoners were drug users and peddlers.

Balochistan: Out of a total 3,138 prisoners, 1,270 male and 16 female prisoners were under trial; 1,467 male and 14 female prisoners were convicted; 141 male prisoners were on death row; 121 male prisoners were juveniles; 61 male prisoners were foreigners and 48 male prisoners were drug users and peddlers.

Northern Areas: Out of a total 246 prisoners, 219 male and three female prisoners were under trial; 16 male prisoners were convicted; three male prisoners were on death row; one male prisoner was a juvenile and four male prisoners were foreigners.

Azad Jammu and Kashmir: Out of a total 513 prisoners, 240 male and six female prisoners were under trial; 195 male and two female prisoners were convicted; 60 male and one female prisoner were on death row; three male prisoners were foreigners and six male prisoners were drug users and peddlers.

Official figures state that the Punjab has 30 jails; 10 central prisons, 19 district prisons and one sub jail; Sindh has 19 jails; NWFP has 22 jails including three central prisons, seven district prisons and 12 sub jails; Balochistan has 10 jails including four central prisons and six district prisons; Northern Areas have three jails at the district level and Azad Jammu and Kashmir has six jails including two central prisons.

The main reason for the overcrowding is the large number of under trial prisoners in jails