…reduce transport, security, feeding costs

…cut down exposure to hardened criminals

Nigeria’s minister of the Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, says one sure and effective way of decongesting the country’s correctional lock-ups would be to try the defendants virtually from the Correctional Centres for speedy determination of cases.

This would eliminate the need to provide transportation and security enroute the courts which is a mojor challenge for the correctional system and has been at the root of the frequent failures of inmates to meet court appointments.

This move would however require adequately equipping of the nation’s correctional centres and courts spread far and wide, with Internet facilities and interactive technology portals.

It would further require the training of staff of the correctional facilities and judicial system for the handling and mentainance of the facilities.

By November 2022 accounts, Nigeria has more than 76,000 inmates in its 240 correctional centres.

Of these, more than 53,200 are awaiting trial and they constitute the bulk of the challenge to the nation’s judicial and correctional system.

The NCS data shows that Nigeria’s correctional centres have the capacity to hold 50,083 inmates but they currently hold 76,000 inmates.

Aregbesola observed that 70 percent of the population of inmates in the country’s correctional centers are awaiting trial and have spent more time in detention than the maximum sentences their alleged offences carry.

One major consequence is that this statistic brings several thousands of innocents, or first time offenders into close and long interactions with hardened criminals, thus serving as an induction into lives of crime thereafter, which is the direct opposite of the intention of they correctional system.

Speaking during the commissioning of a 20-bed space medical facility at Port Harcourt Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Aregbesola said while the Federal Government is finding long term solutions to the challenge of prison decongestion, the state government can in the interim, provide basic support.

He said it was within the ambit of state governors authority to offset or grant waivers to inmates with redeemable fines of less than N1 million, in lieu of incarceration, as well as building court houses at the correctional services premises or try the defendants virtually from the Correctional Centres for speedy determination of cases.

He observed that some of the inmates are held behind bars for minor offences that can be easily waived by the states.

He further asserted that he recently asked the Comptroller of Correctional Centres to compile a list of inmates whose reason for incarceration were fines or debts not exceeding N1 million, meant to be paid to the state governments.

He said about 5,000 inmates where shortlisted in this category and that all of them had stayed long enough in the care of the Federal Government to consume food worth more than they are supposed to pay as fines and debt to the states.

According to him, in Rivers State, there are about 22 of such inmates and the 22 of them collectively owe a little above N3 million, an amount he thinks the State Government can offset or waive for the inmates to be freed.

He said for instance, the Maximum facility in Port Harcourt was built 1,800 inmates, but as of May 12, 2023 the centre was holding 3,100 inmates.