Nigeria’s correctional system is under increasing pressure because imprisonment is being overused, according to President of Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA), Uju Agomoh, who argued that the country should make greater use of non-custodial measures provided under existing law instead of sending minor offenders to prison.
Speaking during an interview with Arise News on Thursday, Agomoh reacted to the federal government’s efforts to decongest correctional facilities following the release of about 4,000 inmates whose fines were paid. She said research supports the Minister of Interior’s assertion that many inmates are being held for state offences and stressed that states, local governments and other stakeholders must play a more active role in correctional administration.
She said while the payment of inmates’ fines helped secure the release of thousands of people, it did not address the underlying causes of prison congestion.
“The Minister is completely correct and something has to be done about this,” she said.
Referring to the release of inmates whose fines were settled, Agomoh added, “The problem here is that you pay that, the next time it’s also increasing, which means that instead of taking people who have issues around fines, in custody I have government paying for them. We need to have a different approach.”
She argued that Nigeria’s criminal justice system should assess cases more carefully before imposing custodial sentences, particularly for offenders who do not pose a threat to society.
“So if the person is not someone who is at risk to the society, why will you keep the person in custody?” she asked.
Agomoh warned that imprisoning minor offenders could expose them to hardened criminals and criminal networks, increasing the likelihood of future offences.
“So you see, we’re hurting ourselves by overusing imprisonment,” she said.
She also faulted the poor implementation of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019, noting that the law already provides alternatives such as community service, probation, parole and restorative justice.
According to her, community service enables offenders to contribute positively to society instead of remaining in custody at government expense, while probation addresses the factors that led to offending by requiring rehabilitation and other corrective measures.
Agomoh further said restorative justice offers victims an opportunity for healing while encouraging offenders to accept responsibility for their actions.
While acknowledging improvements in educational programmes within correctional facilities, including collaborations with the National Open University of Nigeria, she maintained that rehabilitation should extend beyond education to include psychological, economic and social reintegration.
She called for stronger implementation of the law, improved support for the Nigerian Correctional Service’s non-custodial unit and greater emphasis on preventing crime and reducing reoffending through coordinated interventions.
Ademide Adebayo
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