Prisons are expected to serve as correctional facilities for those who have committed crimes. However, in Pakistan, they are often criticized for their treatment of inmates, which some argue is more punitive than reformative.
Instead of rehabilitating individuals, Pakistani prisons are often seen as environments that can transform minor offenders into hardened criminals.
Journalist Sajjar Shabbir highlighted this issue in her article on Samaa TV, stating, “Prisoners are unequivocally subjected to dehumanization, which contributes to the loss of their identity, as inmates are often reduced to their crimes and stripped of their individuality. The prison system imposes a rigid symbolic order that undermines the prisoners’ ability to construct a coherent sense of ‘self’.”
“The dehumanizing labels, cell numbers, inmate numbers, and roles and chores assigned to prisoners further erode their identity,” Shabbir wrote.
Conditions in Pakistani prisons often instill shame and diminish inmates’ sense of self-worth. “The rigid control and lack of personal freedom in prison strip inmates of their autonomy, reinforcing a sense of powerlessness and loss of self,” she added.
Overcrowding in Pakistani prisons is another significant issue. According to a 2023 report by Justice Project Pakistan, overcrowding is widespread, with some jails operating at over 200% of their mandated capacity. This highlights the bleak conditions in which prisoners are incarcerated, as noted in an opinion piece published by Dawn News titled ‘Prisoner Welfare’.
“The true measure of a nation can only be determined by how it treats its most marginalized members, among them those languishing in prison,” wrote advocate Rida Tahir.
The situation in Pakistani prisons is further documented in a report by Human Rights Watch, which states that authorities have systematically deprived prisoners of adequate healthcare, leaving thousands at risk of disease and death. The 55-page report, “A Nightmare for Everyone: The Health Care Crisis in Pakistan’s Prisons,” details widespread deficiencies in prison healthcare and their consequences for the prison population of more than 88,000 people.
Pakistan has one of the world’s most overcrowded prison systems, with cells designed for a maximum of three people often holding up to fifteen, according to Human Rights Watch. Severe overcrowding exacerbates existing healthcare deficiencies, making inmates vulnerable to communicable diseases and preventing them from receiving necessary medicines and treatment for basic health needs and emergencies.
Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director at Human Rights Watch, emphasized the need for urgent systematic reform in Pakistani prisons. Gossman noted that successive governments have acknowledged the problem, but little has been done to address it.
Human Rights Watch interviewed 54 individuals, including former inmates in Sindh, Punjab, and Islamabad, among them women and juveniles, lawyers for detainees and convicted prisoners, prison health officials, and advocacy organizations working on prisoner rights. The organization found that the principal cause of overcrowding is the dysfunctional criminal justice system itself.
Women prisoners are among the most at-risk inmates, according to Human Rights Watch. The situation in Pakistan’s prisons remains an urgent issue that requires immediate attention and reform, with a particular focus on the rights of women, children, and other vulnerable prisoners.
“Pakistan needs urgent and comprehensive prison reform, with a particular focus on the rights of women, children, and other at-risk prisoners,” Gossman said.
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