KARACHI: The Sindh prisons department has demanded at least 2,900 guarding staff and formation of a separate special prison security force (SPSF) to effectively safeguard the 25 detention facilities across the province, it emerged here on Monday.
“We are facing a real danger of terrorism on our prisons, which requires all sorts of measures to keep the security intact,” said a senior official at the home ministry.
Officials in the prisons department said they had sent a summary to the home ministry for the recruitment of at least 2,900 guarding staff for the prison management. They said the shortfall at all the prisons and other detention facilities in Sindh could cause serious security problems if the staff shortage persisted.
“Worldwide, the staff managing the inmates inside jails is separate from the security staff that performs duties outside,” said a senior official.
“It is felt that while the managing staff of the Sindh prisons department is quite short in view of the existing prison population, the security staff does not exist at all.”
Therefore, officials said, apart from the need for 2,900 guarding staff, 1,000 posts for the SPSF needed to be created.
“For these posts for the new force, several requests have already been made to the Sindh home ministry and the last request was made weeks ago,” said another official.
Officials said they initially needed Rs490 million to establish the new force.
“We require at least Rs490m initially,” said an official. “We should remember that it is for the creation of 1,000 posts of the SPSF, which will help us to strengthen the security of Sindh prisons to thwart any threat or attack upon detention facilities by terrorists and other outlaws.”
Some 900 of the 1,000 prison guards would be constables, 80 head constables and 20 would be assistant sub-inspectors.
The financial implication involved per year would be Rs473m. Besides, Rs16.5m would be required for the provision of uniforms and protection gear.
To counter possible ‘terrorist’ attacks on prisons, as has been feared in alerts sent to the authorities by the intelligence agencies from time to time, officials said all the prisons were being buttressed with several security measures.
They said four platoons (105 personnel) of the Frontier Constabulary, 20 Rangers personnel and 25 police personnel had been deployed to guard the Central Prison Karachi (CPK). Besides, they added, reinforcement of watchtowers had been made, iron sheets along the bridge at Jail Chowrangi and barbed wires on the main wall had been installed.
Repeated checking of visitors was being performed and state-of-the-art equipment was provided by the United States for four key prisons.
Similarly, they added, FC, Rangers personnel and policemen had been deputed at the prisons of Hyderabad, Sukkur, Malir, Dadu, Shikarpur and Ghotki.
CCTV cameras have already been installed around the CPK, checkpoints established and mobile phone jammers installed.
Similarly, it is learnt, security cameras are being installed at the Sukkur and Larkana jails. Besides, funds are also required to establish condemned cells inside the CPK.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1303307/special-force-2900-guards-sought-for-prisons-security-across-sindh
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