The current conditions of Nigeria prison calls for prison system reformation
“It was a dark, cold and stench filled place” my first impression of the prison cells we visited in high school. My school teacher began her lecture while my classmates and I were being guided along the prison cell hallway. She kept talking about the downside of not being an obedient citizen, she told us that the prisoners have all committed hideous crimes that’s why they ended up in a place like this. While she was rattling on, my attention seemed to glide at one particular lady imprisoned at the far end of the hallway. The lady looked battered, unkept, hopeless, and most importantly she was bleeding. My eyes quickly skimmed through her cell room, there was a bucket, a tattered mat, and some miserable drinking and eating utensil at the corner. I was not sure of what crimes she committed, but she stood out because she was the only one who had a single prison cell which was cramped regardless. Before we left the prison, I asked the warden about the lady’s crime and why she was in a single cell. He answered saying “she’s a thief” but she got a single cell because she stole from a rich, powerful woman, so hers is a special case. I was met with more questions in my head, and I kept pondering over the warden’s words. This experience in high school inspired me to study the conditions of Nigeria’s prison, this article will mainly focus on the conditions of prison cells in Anambra state.
The level of crime rates is quite expected in a country that is very populated just like Nigeria because of the government inability to provide adequate opportunities for its citizens. This makes citizens succumb to a life of crime in order to earn a living.
Through my research I realized that Nigeria’s Prison system is based on punishment which goes against the whole idea of reformation and rehabilitation. Because its founding policies are based on retribution, the prison cells are not built with convenient and safe facilities for its inmates. The prison cells in Anambra state do not uphold the rights of prisoners nor do they fulfill the expectation of a correctional facility. Prisoners undergo unspeakable torture, pain and violence, they are put in overpopulated cells, given inadequate food, have poor sanitation, and unhygienic toilet areas. The result of this dark place weighs down their mental, physical, and emotional health. On the other hand, news stories have shown that prisoners also face death rows which is inhumane according to Amnesty International.
Possible solutions to this problem is a prisoners reformation project. The focus is to provide adequate facilities for these prisoners, such as clean cell rooms, clean bathrooms and toilets, a bigger prison house, a kitchen department, a TV room, a skill acquisition center, and so on. This will improve the system of living of prisoners and employ reformative measures which will aid the reduction of crime rates. Because when prisoners gain work/job/ business skills, live in a clean environment, and go through therapy, they will be reconciliatory ex-convicts when they finally join the society again and since they have gained some important skills, it is less likely for them to return to a life of crime.
The prisoners reformation project is not only relevant in Anambra state, but it is very essential in other states in Nigeria.
