NAN-DS-5
Reforms
By Muhyideen jimoh
Abuja, Feb. 27, 2017 (NAN) The Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS) in collaboration with the Prisons Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA), an NGO, is to commence a project on reforms and rehabilitation of prison inmates in Nigeria.
Mr Yinka Lawal, acting Executive Director, PRAWA, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.
Lawal said that the project, termed Prison Reform Project (PRP), is a three-year programme with the support of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
“The PRP is a three-year project under the FCO’s Security and Justice Reform Programme (SJRP) and it is designed to address some of the key challenges hindering NPS in the delivery of its key mandate .
“Our interventions will include reforms, rehabilitation and re-integration of prison inmates in the country,’’ he said.
The acting executive director decried the alarming rate of awaiting trail inmates and stressed that the project would help in highlighting the nature and demographical characteristics of awaiting trail detainees in targeted prisons in Nigeria.
“The project will also go a long way in improving access to justice for Awaiting Trail Persons (ATPs) and increased awareness and implementation of good prison/correctional practices in Nigerian prisons,’’ he said.
Lawal said that as part of plans to achieve results, a Penal Reform Media Network (PERMNET) had also been constituted with the mandate of carrying out strategic media advocacy and monitoring.
He said that series of workshops would be organised for the PERMNET, starting with a three-day workshop to hold from March 1 to March 3 in Lagos.
Mr Francis Enobore, spokesperson for the NPS, in an interview with NAN, expressed optimism that the project would go a long way in addressing some of the challenges confronting the NPS.
He said that the NPS would continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders, both local and in international in order to improve service delivery in the prisons. (NAN)
MUYI/DO/AMY
Edited by David Onilede/Abdullahi Yusuf