KARACHI: During a groundbreaking ceremony in Hyderabad, United States Consul General JoAnne Wagner and Inspector General of Prisons, Sindh Province Nusrat Hussain Mangan highlighted the important role Sindh Prisons Department plays in the justice system. Consul General Wagner said, “Corrections are often the neglected leg of a three-legged stool. Without police, prosecutors, and prison officials working together, the system cannot succeed. The United States stands with Sindh in all of these areas and we applaud the great strides the Sindh Prisons Department has made in recent years. The training in this new facility will help equipping Sindh Prisons with modern prison management techniques and it will focus on promoting human rights and countering violent extremism.” The new 175,000,000 PKR academy will be completed in 2020 and will house training for all new incoming Sindh Prisons Department employees while also providing refresher training courses for current staff. The United States views capacity building as one of its most important engagements with its Pakistani partners. We have already funded the training of 77 officials from the Sindh Prisons department since 2013. The additional facilities will allow the academy to train about 600 prison officials at one time, quadrupling current training capacity. This facility, which will include classrooms, a library, a computer lab, an auditorium, and living quarters, will train prison officials from Sindh and Balochistan. Wagner also met with Hyderabad Mayor Hussain and Government of Sindh Director General of the Health Department Khan as well as other District Health officials on her first trip outside of Karachi to discuss important development and diplomatic issues. The State Department’s International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Bureau, which began its partnership with the Sindh Prisons Department in 2014, works in more than 90 countries to help governments combat crime and corruption, counter drug-related crime, improve police institutions, and promote laws and court systems that are fair and accountable.