The Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has started providing academic books and other allied material to various jails in the country, so that these could be made available in the libraries for prisoners. Initially, more than 200 books have been sent to each jail in Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Haripur, Quetta and Mach. These books are in addition to those which were sent separately to the enrolled students of the university. On the advice of AIOU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Ziaul Qayyum, the books were also sent for putting them in jails’ libraries. Currently, there are over 700 AIOU registered prisoners, doing their study in various academic programmes from Matriculation to Bachelor level free of cost, through distance learning system. According to prisoners’ education focal person Dr Zahid Majeed, the AIOU is also working with the federal ombudsman for providing free education to prisoners, enabling them to live a respectable life after completing their detention period. In 2015, AIOU also has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the federal ombudsman to provide free education to women and juveniles. In 2018, a team of federal ombudsman and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund conducted a feasibility study how to improve the condition of women and juveniles in the prison. AIOU was the member of this team that also visited seven jails of the country. It has also worked out a plan to arrange vocational courses for jail inmates in their respective prison. To start with, such a programme will be launched in Haripur jail. There is also a proposal to start a kindergarten resource centre for children of women prisoners in Central Jail, Quetta. Initially, tailoring centres will be set up in the jails for the enrolled prisoners, so that they get the skill-based education free of cost. The decision to this was taken on a request received from the prisoners of Haripur Jail, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Currently, there are 151 AIOU enrolled students in this jail. It was agreed that the university will provide sewing machines and other stitching equipment. A process is also being undertaken to prepare an academic course for providing tailoring education. The trained prisoners will be awarded certificate of tailor master. Published in Daily Times, December 5th 2018.