Solar power strengthens climate resilience in Pakistani prisons

Hazrat Muhammad had a bad first day.

As the superintendent of Ghalanai Sub-Prison in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhw province, he had moved to a new prison facility when summer temperatures soared and the frequency of power outages reached their peak. Without refrigeration, prisoners' food and medicines spoil.

Digital devices no longer worked. The prisoners were left stagnant and unable to escape the scorching heat.

Mr. Muhammad didn't know what to do.

In recent years, Pakistan's electricity supply has become increasingly unreliable and there is a shortage of renewable energy. In Khyber Pakhtunkhw province, where the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) country office and the Prison Service are located, power outages – also known as “load shedding” – are frequent and last up to 10 to 15 hours a day.

Under such conditions, it becomes difficult to run a safe, efficient and effective prison system. Without stable power supply, prisons cannot maintain efficient digital information management systems, which in turn affects prisoner case management, security and more.

Worst of all, as Mr Muhammad has learned, these cuts are affecting prisoners' practical needs: food and medicine cannot be kept cool. Rising average temperatures and overcrowding have led to dangerous and inescapable conditions in many prisons.

To address these challenges, UNODC has installed solar power systems in six prisons in Pakistan. These provide stable, environmentally friendly and affordable energy sources, meet prisoners’ basic needs and keep critical digital systems operational.

A win-win situation

The impact was immediate. “The introduction of solar energy has been a game changer for us, especially in terms of tackling the ongoing problem of power cuts,” says Najam Abbasi, superintendent of Mansehra District Jail.

“With no reliable access to conventional electricity, our prison faced numerous challenges in conducting daily activities, operating digital systems and maintaining connectivity to essential services. However, thanks to UNODC’s intervention, we now have a reliable and sustainable source of electricity, which has significantly improved our ability to operate.”

The introduction was a win-win situation for the environment and for the safe, humane and efficient operation of the prisons. Abdul Bari, superintendent of Kohat District Jail, describes how before the introduction of solar panels, fuel consumption for the prison's generator increased. Worse still, even the backup generator offered no guarantees: “Official correspondence was disrupted, which led to delays in processing urgent prisoner matters. The installation of the solar system has solved all these problems.”