WHAT ARE THE DUTIES OF CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN NIGERIA?
Section 10 of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act 2019 provides the functions of custodial service in the criminal justice system
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WHAT ARE THE DUTIES OF CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN NIGERIA?
Section 10 of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act 2019 provides the functions of custodial service in the criminal justice system. They include:
“(a) taking custody of all persons legally interned; (b) providing safe, secure and humane custody for inmates; (c) conveying remand persons to and from courts in motorized formations; (d) identifying the existence and causes of anti-social behaviours of inmates; (e) conducting risk and needs assessment aimed at developing appropriate correctional treatment methods for reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration; (f) implementing reformation and rehabilitation programmes to enhance the reintegration of inmates back into the society; (g) initiating behaviour modification in inmates through the provision of medical, psychological, spiritual and counseling services for all offenders including violent extremists; (h) empowering inmates through the deployment of educational skills training programmes, and facilitating incentives and income generation through Custodial Centres, farms and industries; (i) administering borstal and related institutions; (j) providing support to facilitate the speedy disposal of cases of persons awaiting trials; (k) performing other functions as may be required to further the general goals of the service.”
The classifications of such custodial services including their peculiarities as provided in the Nigerian Correctional Service Act 2019 are:
i. Maximum Security Custodial Centre
The Custodial Centre has an enhanced level of security including the use of close circuit television, electric fencing, electronic scanners and high level technology and it is reserved for high risk inmates of all classes.
ii. Medium Security Custodial Centre
This refers to a Custodial Center with a reasonable level of security reserved for inmates of all classes.
iii. Open Custodial Centres
Such Custodial Centres are for the treatment of long term-first offenders.
iv. Farm Centre
Farm Centres are for convicts with good conduct who have six months or less to serve.
v. Satellite Custodial facilities
Such facilities are for convicts serving three months imprisonment or less and those awaiting trial for minor offences who are required to be presented in courts in locations without major custodial facilities.
vi. Borstal Institutions
Such Institutions are for juvenile offenders.
vii. Female Custodial facilities
This is for all classes of female inmates.
The Nigerian Non-Custodial Service takes charge of administering the non-custodial measures which include community service, probation, parole, restorative justice measures and any other non-custodial measure assigned to the Correctional Service by a court of competent jurisdiction. Towards further enhancing the criminal justice system and decongesting prisons, non-custodial sentencing should be widely embraced in the appropriate manner.
NB: This article is not a legal advice, and under no circumstance should you take it as such. All information provided are for general purpose only. For information, please contact chamanlawfirm@gmail.com
WRITTEN BY CHAMAN LAW FIRM TEAM
EMAIL: chamanlawfirm@gmail.com
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