THE state is making a fresh attempt to improve conditions in Pakistan’s penitentiaries by developing a national jail reform policy. The first meeting to discuss the contours of this policy was recently held in Lahore, chaired by the chief justice of Pakistan. Such consultations are due to be held in other provinces so that a “humane and effective prison system” can be created, as emphasised by Justice Yahya Afridi. At present, prisons in the country are anything but humane, and inmates mostly live in miserable conditions. Rather than serving as correctional facilities, where those who have broken........

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