By Chinyere Omeire
Lagos – Some Lawyers on Saturday commended the Federal Government for the directive given to states to decongest correctional centres as an additional way of preventing the spread of Coronavirus in the country.
The lawyers gave the commendation in separate interviews with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
Human Rights Lawyer Joke Aladesanmi said it was good that government considered the state of health and wellbeing of inmates by making recommendations to states to decongest correctional centres.
She said that the gesture was to create room for social distancing at the centres.
She, however, said steps should be taken to ensure that the released inmates were adequately catered for throughout the period of the pandemic.
“I applaud the federal government’s decision to decongest correctional centres as a way of preventing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic among inmates and officials.
“It is, however, pertinent to state that most of the inmates who will benefit from this development may have lost touch with their loved ones.
“They may have difficulties travelling to their respective states of residence as the boundaries for most states are presently closed.
“It is also undeniable that persons who fall within this category may have to find other means of survival which may include resorting to crime.
“It is therefore my recommendation that the government should make adequate provisions for the inmates to ensure their sustenance throughout the period of the lockdown and beyond.
“It is necessary that the released inmates are adequately rehabilitated and reintegrated into society to avoid their resorting to crime.
“I also call on the government to sustain the decongestion measures beyond this pandemic period as inmates are very vulnerable to various ailments due to overcrowding of the prisons,” Aladesanmi advised.
Another lawyer, Mr Tope Alabi, said the declaration by the government to decongest correctional centres to curtail spread of the Coronavirus was a step in the right direction.
He said it was usually an annual event carried out by Chief Judges of all the states and governors in the country.
Alabi suggested that the ongoing decongestion should be sustained beyond the pandemic period.
According to him, for the released inmates to shun criminal activities, the roots of the offences upon which they were convicted should be looked into and solved.
“Let government also engage them in farming and other vocational training.
“They can also be engaged in little businesses of buying and selling,” Alabi said.
According to Mr Chibuikem Opara, another Lagos-based lawyer, for prison decongestion to be sustained, there must be a paradigm shift from retributive justice delivery to restorative approach.
“This means that the courts should invoke more of community service as punishment in minor offences instead of prison term sentencing.
“Also, awaiting trial inmates should not be detained beyond necessary stipulated period.
“To ensure that the released inmates do not to go back to the life of crime, both the government and the community must cooperate.
“Their communities must accept them as reformed members of the society without any form of discrimination,” Opara said.
(NAN)
