Prisons in Pakistan
Prisons in Pakistan and their administration, is a Provincial competency under the Constitution of Pakistan. Pakistan has the 23rd largest prison population in the world and the 5th largest death row population. Around 64.5% of prisoners are awaiting trial prisoners. 98.6% of prisoners are male, 1.7% are juveniles and 1.2% of those held are foreign citizens. With a total inmate population of 102,026 distributed across 128 correctional facilities spanning the four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the country's prison system grapples with severe operational pressures, further exacerbated by the fact that over three-quarters of the prison population, 74,918 individuals, remain under trial.
Types of prisons
The most common and standard jail institutions are Central Jails, District Jails and Sub Jails. The other types of jail establishments are Women Jails, Borstal Schools, and Special Jails.Rehabilitation and diversion programs remain largely neglected, with no community service as an alternative sentence. Vulnerable groups, women, juveniles, and individuals with psychosocial disabilities, lack adequate protections. Meaningful reform demands the urgent enforcement of revised Prison Rules and alignment with global standards, including the Mandela, Bangkok, and Beijing Rules, to foster a just and humane penal system.
List of Prisons
Pakistan's 128 prisons, designed for 65,811 inmates, remain severely overcrowded despite infrastructural expansions. Resource constraints and a punitive reliance on detention continue to define the system.Pakistan has four dedicated women's prisons—three in Sindh and one in Punjab, while most female inmates are housed in separate barracks within male prisons. Juvenile offenders are accommodated in five facilities, including Youth Offenders Industrial School and Borstal Institutes, with two in Punjab and three in Sindh.
| Province | No of Prisons | Capacity |
| Balochistan | 11 | 2173 |
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | 23 | 7982 |
| Punjab | 43 | 37217 |
| Sindh | 26 | 10285 |
Islamabad
- Islamabad Jail Complex, under construction
Balochistan
Prisons Department of Balochistan has following Jails:| Jails in Balochistan |
| Central Jail Mach |
| Central Jail Khuzdar |
| Central Jail Gadani |
| Central Jail Mastung |
| District Jail Quetta |
| District Jail Sibi |
| District Jail Kech |
| District Jail Loralai |
| District Jail Turbat |
| District Jail Dera Murad Jamali |
| District Jail Zhob |
Gilgit Baltistan
Prisons in Gilgit Baltistan are under jurisdiction of Home and Prison Department.| Jails in Gilgit Baltistan |
| District Jail Gilgit |
| District Jail Ghizer |
| District Jail Skardu |
| District Jail Diamer |
| Gahkuch Jail |
Azad Jammu and Kashmir
Prisons in Azad Jammu and Kashmir are under jurisdiction of AJK Prison Department.| Jails in Azad Jammu and Kashmir |
| Central Jail Mirpur |
| Central Jail Muzaffarabad |
| District Jail Bagh |
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Khyber Pakhtukhwa Prisons inspectorate is an attached department of Home and Tribal Affairs Department. The Inspectorate of Prisons supervises the operation and management of 22 prisons and 5 internment centers.| Jails in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
| High Security Prison Mardan |
| Central Prison Peshawar |
| Central Prison Haripur |
| Central Prison Bannu |
| Central Prison DI Khan |
| District Jail Mansehra |
| District Jail Kohat |
| District Jail Timargara |
| District Jail Abbottabad |
| District Jail Chitral |
| District Jail Swat |
| Sub Jail Upper Dir |
| Sub Jail Dassu Kohistan |
| Sub Jail Battagram |
| Sub Jail Charsadda |
| Sub Jail Daggar |
| Sub Jail Chakdara |
| Sub Jail Karak |
| Sub Jail Lakki Marwat |
| Judicial Lockup Malakand |
| Judicial Lockup Nowshehra |
| Judicial Lockup Hangu |
| Judicial Lockup Swabi |
Punjab
Sindh
Karachi Region- Central Prison Karachi
- District Prison Malir Karachi
- Central Prison for Women Karachi
- Central Prison Hyderabad
- Special Prison Nara Hyderabad
- District Prison Badin
- District Prison Mirpurkhas
- District Prison Shaheed Benazirabad
- District Prison Sanghar
- District Prison Dadu
- Open Prison Badin
- Central Prison Sukkur
- Central Prison Larkana
- Central Prison Khairpur
- District Prison Sukkur
- District Prison Shikarpur
- District Prison Naushahroferoze
- District Prison Ghotki
- District Prison Jacobabad
- Special Prison for Women Larkana