Probation and parole officers at Model Town courts have been counselling juvenile delinquents and petty criminals without a proper office.
Reclamation and Probation Deputy Director Anjum Pervez says sometimes officers use lawyers’ chambers for counselling sessions. He says at other times, they hold meetings on the court lawn.
He says the Cantt courts and the district and sessions courts both have offices for probation officers.
There are six probation and parole officers currently in Lahore. He says only one officer works at Model Town courts.
He says the six parole officers been dealing with as many 2,200 probationers.
He says the issue of an office for probation hearings at Model Town courts has been raised several times in meetings of Criminal Justice Coordination Committee but nothing changed so far.
He says the budget of the Reclamation Department is only Rs90million.
Pervez says probation officers meant to help criminals learn to live normal lives.
Section 5 of Probation of Offenders Ordinance, 1960, provides that a court may release the felons on probation after they have been convicted in offences with sentences not exceeding seven years. The court looks into nature of the offence and the character of the offender before issuing such an order.
The convicts may be released on probation for a period ranging from one to three years and are supervised by probation officers for their rehabilitation.
According to Prison Department records, the number of juveniles all over the Punjab has fluctuated a great deal. There were 101 boys in 2011 and 247 in 2012. In October 2013, the number declined to 149. The number of girls was 224 in 2011, 287 in 2012. In October 2013, it was 179.
In 2009, there were 16,554 women, men and juveniles on probation of which 5,921 completed the period. In 2010, the number of people on probation was 19,881 and 15,818 completed it.
In 2011, the number had reached 20,120. As many as 20,392 completed their period. In 2012 the numbers were 17,657 and 16,630. The number of paroles reached 17,800 in November of 2013.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 6th, 2014.