[ABIA] PRAWA Hosts Workshop on effective implementation of non-custodial measures

The Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA) in partnership with the Nigerian Prison and Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) has organized an Abia State Consultative Workshop for government agencies and relevant stakeholders on effective implementation of non-custodial measures. The workshop which was held at the conference hall of Vilaroy Hotels was organized with the aim of promoting human rights for people in prison and to help those who have survived prison to successfully integrate into the society as well as creating awareness on the Part 2 Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019 (Non-Custodial Measures); providing platform for government agencies and relevant stakeholders to interface and brainstorm on strategies for effective implementation of non-custodial measures in Abia State; identifying the roles that various agencies of government and relevant stakeholders can play in the effective implementation of non-custodial measures, and developing strategic action plan for effective implementation of non-custodial measures and provide opportunity for sharing of experiences and ideas useful for the implementation of non-custodial measures.

Speaking during the workshop, the Deputy Director of PRAWA, Ogechi Ohu, Esq. highlighted the essence of the custodial measures in the justice administration system in Abia State stating that the workshop is relevant for state agencies to know these non-custodial measures in order to facilitate best judicial practices in the state. She noted that people are sent to non-custodial centres without committing offenses that should warrant their being there.

“We criminalize our communities by imprisoning those petty offenders all in the name of punishing offenders. The laws defining criminal conducts must be clear, precise and accessible and we are to clearly establish the elements of crime as well as grounds upon which a person can be arrested and detained.

“Criminal laws must be in pursuit of a legitimate objective. Laws which allow arrest and imprisonment for petty offences can be a misappropriate measure, which is contrary to the principle of arrest as a measure of last resort,”

The deputy directed lamented speaking against some laws in the state and in the country which have not favoured the poor. she said “Why not make laws that have human face. You don’t use laws and harsh punishment measures to generate revenue for the state. You are not to reap off citizens to enrich the state in the name of breaking the law; nobody should be made to pay so severely for petty offences committed”.

Also, rendering his comments in the workshop the PRO, Abia State Police Command, Mr. Geoffrey Ogbonna stated that Abia State has all it takes to implement the non-custodial measures policy. He said that currently the Nigerian Police together with all law enforcement agencies is poised towards making sure that the non-custodial measures are put in place for effective justice administration.

In attendance were participants from the State Prison Service, Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Nigeria Immigration Service, Department of State Security, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Nigerian Police, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA), and the State Judiciary including other judicial stakeholders in the justice reform.