Nasarawa State Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS), said 300 inmates were undergoing various levels of educational programs at the Nasarawa state command of NCS.
The Assistant Controller, Nasarawa state command of Nigerian Correctional Service, Nasarawa state command, Wukari Luka, disclosed this while speaking as a participant at the two days capacity building training, organized by Law Hub Advocacy Development Center (LHADC) funded by MacArthur Foundation on Thursday, in Lafia.
The theme of the two days program is”Assessment of the implementation of the Nasarawa state Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2018″.
Luka who explained that the inmates were in the Correctional facilities in Lafia and Keffi, also said they were carefully trained in other to become useful to society when they are set free.
Luka said the command has achieved a remarkable increase in the enrolment of inmates in educational training owing to the policy of NCS to rehabilitate inmates to integrate into society after undergoing reformation as prescribed by law.
He explained that the command has taken advantage of the study centre of the National Open University of Nigeria in Lafia and Keffi, where the inmates enrolled for degrees and other university programmes.
The AC, appreciated the Nasarawa state government, LHDAC, and other organizations for supporting the command to adequately reform inmates.
He pledged the commitment of the command to invest in public safety through a secured Correctional Service system and rehabilitation of the inmates.
“300 inmates under our custody are undergoing various level of educational training. We have a NOUN study center in Lafia and Keffi, and we have taken advantage of it by giving our inmates western education”; the AC said.
Luka identified environmental factors as one of the reasons ex-convicts go back to crime even after rehabilitation. He advised the government at all levels to put all machineries in place to take the youths off the street for a crime-free society.
In his paper presentation, Isaac Edoh, the solicitor general and permanent secretary, Nasarawa state ministry of Justice said, it was necessary that the law is fully popularized and disseminated not only to the law enforcement agencies and stakeholders in the criminal justice system but also to the entire public to ensure the protection of the rights of persons guaranteed under the law.
Some of the participants who spoke to Nigerian Tribune expressed hope that at the end of the program, the Criminal Justice in Nasarawa state will have a boost.
The two days program which started yesterday ended on Thursday in Lafia.
READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
and then