ISLAMABAD: A two-day seminar recently gathered national and international experts to discuss the development and validation of the P-SAP, a risk and need assessment tool for probation in Pakistan.
The aim is to enhance the effectiveness of the probation system by implementing improved assessment methods and resource allocation.
The seminar included notable speakers with varied perspectives.
Dr. Mazahar Hussain Bhutta, Project Investigation Officer and Chairman of the Department of Sociology at PMAS-ARID Agriculture University Rawalpindi, stressed the need for a rigorous development process for the P-SAP tool, encompassing a literature review, solid theoretical underpinnings, and real-world probation case data.
On behalf of the Vice Chancellor, Registrar Aqeel Sultan of PMAS-ARID Agriculture University Rawalpindi revealed a notable milestone: the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Punjab Government and the university. This MOU seeks to enhance the probation system in Pakistan throu
gh collaborative efforts and streamline the allocation of necessary resources for efficient implementation.
Dr. Qadir Alam, AIG of the Punjab Prisons Department, offered valuable insights by discussing the different elements of Pakistan’s criminal justice system. This encompassed the functions of the police, probation officers, and prisons, as well as an examination of various theories of criminal behavior.
Dr. Nadia Khadim, Co-PI of the LCF (Local Challenge Fund) project funded by HEC and Head of the Law Department at FJW University Rawalpindi, presented on the legal framework governing probation in Pakistan. She underscored probation’s primary goals of rehabilitating and reintegrating offenders, emphasizing its role as a community service alternative to incarceration.
Representing Muhammad Shahid Iqbal, Director General of the Probation and Parole Service, Hafiz Sultan, acting as the focal person, along with Hafiz Muhammad Sultan, Assistant Director of the Rawalpindi Division of the Probation and Parole
Service under the Punjab Home Department, discussed the challenges encountered by the system.
They highlighted the substantial caseload handled by individual officers amidst resource constraints. They emphasized the potential of effective assessment tools like P-SAP to enhance case management and resource allocation.
The seminar also recognized Prof. Shelley Brown from Carleton University and the Department of Sociology for their valuable contributions to the development of the P-SAP tool. This collaborative effort represents a positive stride towards enhancing Pakistan’s probation system’s effectiveness and efficiency.