NAN-DS-7
Prisons
By Muhyideen Jimoh
Lagos, March 2, 2017 (NAN) The Controller of Prisons, Lagos State Command, Mr Timothy Tinuoye, has called for the transformation of Nigerian prisons to modern correctional and rehabilitation institution.
Tinuoye made the call on Thursday in Lagos during a guided media tour of the Kirikiri medium security prison facilitated by the Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA), an NGO.
He said that the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS) was working with relevant stakeholders to change the narrative of prisons being seen as a punishment centres.
“We are working with relevant stakeholders to transform our prisons to a modern correctional and rehabilitation institution,” he said.
He said that the NPS was already collaborating with the National Open University (NOUN) and vocational centres for the training of inmates.
The controller said that the educational and vocational training had been very helpful in rehabilitating the inmates.
He said that the counseling unit of the NPS commands had also been upgraded to deal with the “psychological stability” of the inmates.
Tinuoye also stressed the need for better funding, reforms and de-congestion of Nigerian prisons.
The tour is part of PRAWA’s capacity building workshop for journalists on prison reforms in the country. (NAN)
MUYI/AMY/AMY
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Edited by Abdullahi Yusuf