PRAWA, NCoS campaign for broader non-custodial options to decongest prisons

PRAWA and other stakeholders in the criminal justice system made the call at a roundtable stakeholders’ meeting on non-custodial measures on Monday in Abuja.

PRAWA’s Executive Director, Dr Uju Agomoh, in a speech, highlighted some of the consequences of custodial sentencing.

These include the deprivation of family presence, exposure to hardened criminals, and long-term social impacts on offenders.

Agomoh, however, stressed the need to build on past efforts by identifying existing gaps and obstacles in the implementation of non-custodial sentences.

She noted that alternative measures such as community service, probation, and restorative justice could significantly reduce the number of inmates in correctional facilities.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the roundtable discussion was organised by PRAWA in partnership with the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS).

While funding support was from the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) programme.

NAN also notes that non-custodial measures, such as probation, parole, and community service, provide alternatives to imprisonment, ensuring that minor offenders are supervised outside correctional facilities.

Agomoh presented a paper entitled, “Understanding Non-Custodial Measures: Framework and Institutional Mandate.”

According to her,  the current initiative builds on the successes of previous programmes while addressing challenges related to prison congestion.

She pointed out that non-custodial practices had roots in African traditional justice systems but were overshadowed by English common law.

Decrying the over-reliance on detention in Nigeria, she highlighted that correctional facilities, especially in urban areas were severely overcrowded due to the high number of Awaiting Trial Inmates .

“Although correctional centres in rural areas are less congested, we need to fully implement non-custodial measures to address overcrowding in urban facilities,” she said.

Agomoh attributed the overuse of imprisonment to an institutional preference for custodial sentences among law enforcement agencies, judicial officers, and society at large.

According to her, the NCoS Act 2019 provides a legal framework for implementing non-custodial measures.

She cited Rwanda’s post-genocide approach, which incorporated traditional justice mechanisms to address crimes while ensuring community-based rehabilitation.

She also underscored the importance of accountability in non-custodial measures, stressing that offenders must take responsibility for their actions while facing appropriate penalties.

In her welcome address, Deputy Controller of Corrections (DCC) in charge of Non-Custodial Services, Onyinyechi Okoro, emphasised the need to strengthen alternative sentencing measures.

She stated that minor offences and light sentences should not automatically lead to incarceration, as this would help reduce overcrowding in correctional facilities.

Delivering his goodwill message, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting PRAWA and other partners.

He said that this support would promote non-custodial measures to decongest prisons and reduce government expenditure on inmate upkeep.

Fagbemi, who was represented by Yusuf Abdullahi, a Deputy Director in the Ministry of Justice, maintained that non-custodial measures encouraged restorative justice, benefiting both victims and offenders.

Other stakeholders at the meeting stressed the need for a more structured approach to enforcing non-custodial sentences under Section 37(1) of the NCoS Act 2019.

This Act provides for alternatives such as community service, probation, and parole.

They also called for stronger collaboration among the judiciary, law enforcement agencies, and civil society to ensure the broader adoption and effective implementation of these measures.(NAN)