Onyekachi Eze The Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC) is partnering with an Abuja-based rights advocacy group, Legend Golden Care Foundation (LGCF) and Public Awareness on Rights and Rehabilitation of Vulnerable Persons Initiative (PAR-RVP Initiative) on prison decongestion in the country.
At a three-day capacity-building programme for key justice sector stakeholders in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Tuesday, the group called for the application of non-custodial measures in the nation’s justice system, as well as the implementation of non-custodial sentencing and advanced criminal justice reform in Nigeria.
The training, which brought together over 150 participants from the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), court registrars, magistrates, liaison and desk officers from the five correctional divisions of the Maitama, Garki, Nyanya, Bwari and Gwagwalada, was declared open by a representative of the Chief Judge of Abuja, Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf.
Justice Celestine Odo, Chairman of the Steering Committee on Non-Custodial Measures, who represented the chief judge, commended the ACJMC and its partners for their commitment to promoting restorative justice and fostering effective inter-agency collaboration.
At the same time, retired Assistant Controller General (ACG) of Correction, Nwakaeze Emmanuel Anekwe, called for the adoption legal framework within the Correctional Service, to ensure effective implementation of non-custodial measures.
The non-custodial sentence is a criminal sentence for lesser offences that does not attract prison incarceration but substitutes measures such as fines, community service or restitution.
This criminal justice measure is, however, not being adequately implemented in Nigeria, leading to the incarceration of thousands of such offenders across the country
The technical sessions covered diverse topics, including the legal framework and guiding principles for non-custodial sentences, the guidelines and monitoring framework for implementation and the application of non-custodial measures by the courts.
Mrs Kanayo Olisa-Metuh, Executive Director of LGCF, an advocate of non-custodial justice in Nigeria, attended the workshop.
Participants described the training as timely, highly engaging and impactful, emphasising that the training would further equip officers to effectively implement non-custodial sentences, strengthen rehabilitation frameworks, and enhance justice delivery in the FCT.
