Parole system: Stakeholders hold appraisal workshop on criminal justice law

Parole system: Stakeholders hold appraisal workshop on criminal justice law

 Stakeholders at the Workshop

Parole

By Bushrah Yusuf-Badmus

Ilorin, June 20, 2024 (NAN) Stakeholders in the judicial system on Thursday converged to appraise the legal framework of the parole system and the criminal justice law in Nigeria.

At the appraisal workshop organised by the Cleen Foundation in Ilorin, they agreed that the Parole Act as introduced in 2015 was one of the ways to reduce prison congestion and an improvement on the country’s criminal justice system.

Executive Director, Cleen Foundation, Mr Peter Gad, said the workshop was to bring stakeholders together to discuss the need to depoliticise the parole process as well as standardise the criteria for selection of inmates.

Gad represented by the Finance Officer, Helen Anwanna, said the administration of justice was the cornerstone of any society that upholds the rule of law.

According to him, collective efforts are pivotal in ensuring that this cornerstone remains robust and effective.

”This workshop provides an invaluable platform for us to engage in critical discussions, share insights, and evaluate the current state of our legal framework on parole and its broader implication on criminal justice administration in Nigeria.

”Parole is a critical component of our justice system, aimed at rehabilitating offenders and reintegrating them into the society as law-abiding citizens.

”It reflects a balance between punitive measures and the need for rehabilitation, recognising that the potential for reform and positive change exists within every individual.

”However, for parole to achieve its intended outcomes, it must be underpinned by a sound legal framework and effective administration,” he said.

Mr Gad said all stakeholders should work towards a more efficient and humane criminal justice system that would not only punish wrongdoing but also promoted rehabilitation and reintegration.

The Assistant Controller of Corrections, Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS), Kwara Command Mr Okunola Adebayo, said no one has actually enjoyed parole in Nigeria because the modus operandi was yet to be institutionalised.

Adebayo, who is the Secretary of the Parole Board and the Head of NonCustodial Measure in Kwara, said the National Technical Committee was yet to formalise the modules through which the states could domesticate the system.

”The parole system is a new phenomenon under the Nigerian justice system, even as it is being introduced into NCS, and we are still learning the rope on how to exploit its benefits.

 ”As it is presently, there is no modus operandi, as it has not been well institutionalised.

”In Nigeria today, no one has actually benefited from parole because the National Technical Committee on parole in Abuja is yet to formalise the modules through which the states can domesticate.

”So that we can follow the tenets and enjoy parole system,” he said.

Senior Sulyman, the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Kwara, said the workshop was apt and timely as justice was not only for the defendant, but also for the victim and the society, which parole among other things sought to reintegrate inmates back to the society.

The commissioner represented by the state Director of Public Prosecution, Idowu Akande, said the parole system in the state will work with three pointers namely remittance of unserved term, reduction of the sentence and substitution of the sentence.

He said part of the conditions to be fulfilled for the paroles include having served 2/3 of their terms with good conduct and those with critical health conditions.

Mrs Ibijoke Olawoyin, the Chief Registrar, Kwara High Court, said the parole system was laudable but the ball needed to be set rolling as it was yet to start working in Kwara.

 She said if the system was well put in place, it would go a long way in decongesting the correctional centres, as well as serve a form of reformation and reintegration to the society.

Olawoyin said it was unfortunate that there was no clear cut of how the parole system ought to work, but pledged the court’s willingness to synergise with other stakeholders once institutionalised.

 She further advised the government to have a reintegration process in place to accept the inmates released on parole either as a form of training or skills acquisition.

The Vice Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association, Ilorin, Mrs Aisha Temim, commended Cleen Foundation for looking inwards to what happened to inmates next after sentence?

The Secretary, Community Policing Advisory Committee, Alhaji Shola Mause, said it was laudable that reforms like this were being brought to the criminal justice system in the country as it was long overdue.

 The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other stakeholders represented at the workshop are Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), National Human Rights Commission, Nigeria Police Force, Legal Aid Council, Civil Society Organisations, Non-Governmental Organisations and the media.

 NAN also reports that the workshop was organised by Cleen Foundation with support from MacArthur Foundation. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

BAY/AMM

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Edited by Abiemwense Moru