Decongesting prisons: Feeding 75,507 inmates gulps N22.44bn — FG
…Over 70% of inmates on awaiting trial
…82 custodial centres mostly affected
…FG laments bearing brunt of over 90% state offenders
…Govt decries arbitrary arrests, delay in dispensing justice, points to inability to meet bail conditions
…Seeks strategies for effective reformation, rehabilitation, reintegration of inmates
Seeking to decongest correctional centres across the Country gulping huge sums of revenue on the part of government for feeding inmates many of whom are awaiting trial, the Federal Government has disclosed that no less than a sum of N22.44 billion has recently been spent on the feeding of 75,507 inmates in the correctional centres nationwide.
The government disclosed in Abuja on Thursday that 70 per cent of the inmates were awaiting trial, lamenting that the effects of overcrowding in the custodial centres have led to huge revenue drain.
Also lamented by the government is that overcrowding has led to continuous dilapidation of the custodial centres and criminalisation of the society.
The Federal Government also cried foul that it has been bearing the burden of the State offenders which accounts for 90 per cent of the inmates on record.
It, however, sought strategies to promote effective reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr Shuaib Belgore, during a High-level conference on corrections and decongestion of custodial centres said the inmates are spread in 244 custodial centres nationwide,
He attributed the high number of awaiting trial inmates to arbitrary arrests, delay in dispensing justice and inability to meet bail conditions.
The Permanent Secretary said that the situation had led to the congestion of 82 custodial centres across the country.
“The total number of male inmates are 73,821 and 1,686 are female inmates. Out of the 75,507 inmates, 52,436 are awaiting trial while 23,071 are convicted persons, with 3,322 as condemned inmates on death row.
“The Federal Government budgeted N22.44 billion in the 2023 appropriation to cater for the feeding of inmates. Failure to take action to decongest the custodial centres will come at a cost.
“The effects of overcrowding in the custodial centres have led to huge revenue drain for the Federal Government.
“Dilapidation of the centres, criminalisation of the society and the inability to separate awaiting trial inmates from convicted persons,” he said.
Belgore said there is a need for holistic reform of the country’s correction system, including the modernisation of custodial centres for appropriate reformation and rehabilitation of inmates.
According to him, the stakeholders have since emphasised the need to build new facilities and redesign the bail system.
“I am of the view that the discourse at this conference should allocate more time to address speedy dispensation of justice to reduce number of inmates on awaiting trial.
“In as much as the Ministry of Interior works tirelessly to accomplish the goal of achieving greater reduction of number of inmates across our custodial centres, we are determined to ensure that the correctional facilities provide not just a decent accommodation, we also ensure that inmates acquire skills and knowledge to advance their integration into the society when they eventually regain freedom,” he said.
He said that the conference should propose efficient, effective and sustainable solutions to tackle congestion of custodial centres and effective implementation of non-custodial measures.
He added that strategies should be devised to promote effective reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates.
Belgore said the role of the Federal and State Governments in correction of inmates should also be examined by the conference.
“The statistics ratio of federal and state offenders is mind boggling and worrisome.
“The federal offenders in the correctional facilities are far less than 10 per cent, leaving the majority of over 90 per cent to state offences,” he said.
Belgore said that improved implementation of the criminal justice system and adoption of non-custodial measures would help in the decongestion of custodial centres across the nation.
