Decongesting correctional centres

The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has told us he is working on devolution of power between the Federal Government and the states. When this is done, the states would be in a better stand to offer their best in the development of correctional centres, and this could help by way of better funding […]

The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has told us he is working on devolution of power between the Federal Government and the states. When this is done, the states would be in a better stand to offer their best in the development of correctional centres, and this could help by way of better funding and management of the correctional centres.

Another issue is the slow pace of justice dispensation in the country; which is attributable to long and, sometimes, mischievous adjournments of cases thereby abandoning inmates in prisons, inadequate funding of the judiciary and slow investigation processes by the police.

Unfortunately, due to the inherent lapses in the system, the correctional centres system which is supposed to be reformatory has eventually turned to punitive thereby defeating the true essence of sending convicts to prison. The implication of this reversed system is that the inmates of our correctional centres come out more criminally-minded than they were before conviction.

Also, the constitutional duties of the chief judges to visit prisons should be consistently complied with. This power vested in the chief judges will help to drastically decongest the prisons.

Similarly, there is the institutionalised way of delaying trials in the justice delivery system by way of holding charge. Time has come for the nation to do away with such stop-gaps. Of equal importance is the upward review of funding of the judiciary and the right judiciary personnel to do the job.

The police should also be given the wherewithal to perform their constitutional role in justice dispensation.

It is my candid view that when these are done, the justice delivery system will improve, and this in turn will help to decongest our prisons for a saner society.

Inwalomhe Donald   [email protected]