Judiciary group commends FG over plan to release inmates

The Centre for Legal Support and Inmate Rehabilitation (CELSIR) has commended Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s move to release 30 per cent of prison inmates nationwide, but canvassed policies that would ensure proper reintegration of the inmates.

CELSIR Executive Director, Joke Aladesanmi, observed that one of the challenges plaguing the Nigerian Criminal Justice sector is the congestion of the correctional facilities.

To her, the Nigerian Correctional Centres were built with an occupancy level of 50,153 incarcerated persons, but the total population across the 253 centres as stated by Aregbesola presently stands at 75,635 with over 70 per cent awaiting trial.

These statistics, she argued, clearly require urgent measures for the decongestion of the correctional facilities. He added that it is, therefore, commendable that the Minister is taking up the call.

“It is our firm belief that even though freedom is the most sought-after need of incarcerated persons, the assistance they need goes beyond just freedom.

“It is paramount to state that most of these individuals were drawn from socially and economic disadvantaged populations, and their situation has become worsened as a result of their incarceration.

“The majority of the incarcerated individuals will not have homes to go to or any means of livelihood to aid their survival especially due to discrimination and stigmatisation. Hence, releasing the identified individuals without any form of support will be detrimental to both the released inmates and society at large as the increase in social vices is inevitable,” he declared.

She said CELSIR would recommend that the Federal Government should consider holding intensive empowerment and skills acquisition programmes where the identified individuals could learn self-sustaining skills before their release.

The skills, she noted would help them develop practical skills to make ends meet post-incarceration. She added: “We also propose that rather than release them into society without any provision for safe housing, the government should consider releasing the identified individuals to their relatives or partner with Non-governmental Organisations or religious bodies who can walk them through post-incarceration challenges.”

She said long-lasting decongestion of correctional facilities can only be achieved if steps are taken to prevent reoffending by released inmates.