Female juvenile offenders

ISLAMABAD: Too many women are still serving short prison sentences, often for breaching community orders for crimes that do not themselves carry a prison sentence, according to media reports.

In the absence of a female probation officer, several juvenile offenders have had to stay in jail for far longer than they should have. This is a particular problem because most jails that house juvenile offenders do not have a separate section for females.

It is difficult for parents to maintain contact with their children while they are incarcerated. More than half of the incarcerated mothers do not receive any visits from their children while they are in prison. The single most significant reason for lack of contact is the children’s distance from their mothers’ prisons, many of which are located far from their homes. The government needs to do something to redress this issue.

Anam Hayat

Source: TRIBUNE