Prison
Rather than allowing juveniles to cohabit with adults as inmates in prisons, government has been asked to establish reform homes for juveniles found wanting by courts.
Participants at a stakeholders’ meeting organised by Cleen Foundation with support from MacAurthur Foundation and its partners in Anambra, said the reform homes, if established, would go a long way in reforming young offenders, who are presently wallowing in different cells across the nation.
They also want more magistrates employed to facilitate bail applications.
Led by Barrister Somto Ogoegbuna, a partner of Cleen Foundation, they agreed that sensitising the Nigeria Police and Nigeria Prisons Service, especially in the issue of arrests would go a long way in improving the value chain of administration of criminal justice system in the country.
Commending Anambra State Ministry of Justice and the Judiciary, the group agreed to meet with the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice to advocate speedy writing of legal opinions by legal officers of the Ministry to help decongest the prisons.
