JDPC seeks support of Nigerians to decongest prisons

The Justice Development and Peace Centre (JDPC) has solicited support from well-meaning Nigerians to help in the effort to decongest prisons in the country.

The group made the call on Thursday in Lagos during their visit to the Kirikiri Medium Prisons, to secure the release of some inmates, arrested for wondering and street trading.

The Festac Deanery Coordinator of the group, Mr Onyema Onyenankeya, said the release of eight prisoners facilitated by the group was part of the centre’s efforts at decongesting the prisons.

Onyenankeya, who spoke after the release of the prisoners, said JDPC would have loved to facilitate the release of more prisoners but that it lacked the finances to do so.

“The prisoners are not known to the group and the person that is in prison does not have to be your relative or someone you know before you help them regain their freedom.’’

Onyenankeya expressed worry over the poor state of facilities in the prisons, noting that the facility built to cater for 1,700 inmates now had over 3,600 inmates.

“When we visited the prisons, we were told that there were 3,603 inmates out of which 3,080 were awaiting trial and 523 already convicted.

“Even as some prisoners were being released, more were being brought in.

”This shows there’s a serious problem that we need to deal with by continuously decongesting these prisons and by providing better lives for our teeming youths.”

He pleaded with the Federal Government to upgrade prison facilities and to provide jobs to discourage the freed prisoners from going back to crimes.