Over 7 lakh inmates and more than 10 lakh visitors have been registered in PMIS, which the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) developed for the Punjab Prisons Department.
Over 7 lakh inmates and more than 10 lakh visitors have been registered in the Prison Management Information System (PMIS), which the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) developed for the Punjab Prisons Department.
Additionally, the system has digitised over 13,000 profiles of the prison staff members. The Prison Management Information System (PMIS) was created to computerise prisoner information, staff monitoring, and other administrative tasks online.
Chairman Faisal Yousaf noted that the traditional manual system in prisons has been digitalized, and now includes services like online bank payments, visitor management, medical care, food delivery from the canteen, and more.
He added that the Prison Management Information System had enabled the digitization of various prison operations, including the management of hospitals, human resources, duty summaries, stores, etc. He said, “There has been a lot of improvement and transparency in the administrative affairs of prisoners and other matters.
Pakistan received the British prison system as a colonial legacy. The Punjab Prisons Department was established in 1854 for Custody, Care, and Control of Prisoners Confined in Different Central, District, and Special Jails in the Province of Punjab. It was conceived of as a Humanitarian Alternative to Corporal Punishment.
A progressive department, Punjab Prisons works to ensure that offenders return to society as contributing members. A wholesome and healthy environment has been created in jails as a result of the administration of prisons gradually changing to align with the correctional philosophy and rehabilitative approach towards jail inmates.
The Department now places a strong emphasis on the moral development of the prisoners while also adopting an all-encompassing strategy to help with their post-release reintegration into society.
Modern IT technologies must be implemented in prisons to improve efficiency and transparency, and to treat prisoners’ data systematically. A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Home Department, Punjab and UNODC to develop a prisons management information system.