Lahore:
There has been significant progress in jail reforms in Punjab as the rules and criteria for sentence remission in prisons have been issued.
Following the instructions of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, the Department of Home has released the rules and standards for remission of sentences under the Jail Reform Agenda. Sentence remission refers to a system under which a prisoner becomes eligible for release before completing their full sentence.
There are five conditions for early release before completing the sentence: hard labor, good conduct, education, blood donation, and special remission.
Sentence Remission for Good Conduct
Good conduct means that the prisoner is serving their sentence in accordance with prison rules. A prisoner with good conduct will receive 15 days remission after completing one year of hard labor, and after completing three years, an additional 30 days remission will be granted.
Sentence Remission Based on Educational Achievements
Prisoners who improve their educational qualifications during their incarceration will receive sentence remission based on their academic level. Those who complete matriculation, intermediate, or BA/MA during their imprisonment will receive 6 to 10 months of remission. Prisoners who complete memorizing the Quran and its translation will receive 6 months to 2 years of remission. Those who complete technical courses like electrician, motor binding, or beautician will receive up to one month of remission.
Once exam results are received, the Jail Superintendent will forward the remission case within 7 days, and the DIG Jail will further process it in 3 days. The IG Jail will issue a notification for sentence remission based on educational qualifications during the second week of each month. The IG Jail will also send a certificate to the Department of Home every month confirming that there are no pending remission cases.
Special Remission
Special remission is granted by the competent authority during certain festivals. According to prison rules, the Jail Superintendent can grant 30 days, IG Jail 60 days, the Secretary of Home 90 days, and the federal government can grant 60 days of special remission.
Presidential Remission
The remission granted by the President of Pakistan under Article 45 of the Constitution takes precedence over all other laws.
Blood Donation
Under prison rules, a convicted prisoner who donates blood is entitled to 30 days of remission. There must be a minimum of 6 months between one donation and the next. A prisoner sentenced to more than 5 years can donate blood up to 4 times.
Remission for Hard Labor
Prisoners sentenced to less than 4 months of hard labor are not eligible for remission in exchange for hard work. Prisoners whose death sentence is commuted to life imprisonment will be granted remission according to the lowest scale. Sentence remission will be granted 4 times a year based on 3-month intervals, and it will be recorded on the same day.
Prisoners convicted of terrorism, sabotage, or anti-state activities are not eligible for any remission.
Delays in Remission Registration
If there is any delay in registering remission, and a prisoner has to serve an additional day of sentence, the Jail Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent Judicial will face action under PEEDA. It is the responsibility of the Deputy Superintendent Judicial to ensure timely registration of remission in the Remission Sheet and Prison Information Management System.
According to the spokesperson for the Punjab Home Department, the Secretary of Home has directed strict enforcement of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for sentence remission.
