The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has emphasized the urgent need for enhanced implementation of non-custodial measures in correctional facilities across Nigeria to ensure their transformation into truly reformative institutions for inmates.
During a four-day Inmates Classification training session held for officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) in Abuja, organised by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) of the U.S.
State Department and implemented by UNODC in Nigeria, the Project Coordinator for Prisons and Penal Reforms, Munchaneta Mundopa, highlighted the importance of promoting international minimum standards and good practices related to inmate classification.
Mundopa stressed the significance of considering non-custodial measures, particularly due to the high number of awaiting trial inmates in Nigerian prisons. She emphasised that not all individuals incarcerated necessarily belong in prison, advocating for stronger rehabilitation and social reintegration programmes to equip inmates with the skills needed to reintegrate into society upon release.
Furthermore, she underscored the importance of tailoring rehabilitation plans based on individual needs and risks, rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach.
She noted a gap in the implementation of classification systems and emphasised the need to align them with international standards, such as the Nelson Mandela Rules.
The Controller General of the NCoS, Haliru Nababa, represented by Controller of Corrections Cyrus Lakitile, expressed gratitude to UNODC for providing training opportunities for agency personnel. He acknowledged the evolving nature of inmate classification and the importance of continually upgrading knowledge and skills to address emerging challenges in the correctional system.
Nababa emphasised that exposure to such training sessions enables personnel to identify and address gaps in their practices, particularly in the classification of inmates, ultimately contributing to the improvement of correctional services in Nigeria.
