United Nations Office on Drug and Crimes (UNODC) has intensified training of personnel of the Nigerian Correctional Service, (NCoS), on standard rules for the treatment of prisoners, also known as ‘The Mandela Rules’.
Country Representative UNODC, Oliver Stolpe, said that prisoner classification, according to the Mandela Rules, is considered by the UN as the acceptable standard for the treatment of those in incarceration.
He made this known at a four-day Workshop on International Minimum Standards and Good Practices Related to the Classification of Inmates for correctional service personnel, yesterday in Lagos.
Represented by the Project Coordinator, Prison and Penal Reform and Head of Justice, Integrity and Health Unit, UNODC, Muchaneta Mundopa, he said the capacity workshop has been ongoing and was focusing on officers in North-Eastern Nigeria.
“We realise that although the Nigerian Correctional Service practices a form of classification, it is mostly separation they are doing and not classification in the real sense.”
“So, the basis of this workshop is not only to impart knowledge in you but to also have a discussion, a two-way communication where we get to know what is currently prevailing, what can be improved and should be improved. Our hope at the end of these series of trainings is to hold discussions with senior management of the Nigerian Correctional Service,” he said.
