JDPC advocates community service as alternative punishment for minor offences

Justice Development and Peace Commission (JPDC) of the Catholic Archdiocese of Ibadan has continued its efforts towards promoting community service as alternative for minor offences in the country.

This, the JDPC said, would help decongest the nation’s prisons and truly reform those who are serving terms to stop them from becoming repeat offenders.

The JDPC recently held a seminar at its head office in Ibadan, Oyo State, where it brought together stakeholders in the justice and correctional sectors to share knowledge on the applicability of the idea, which is already gaining traction in some states.

With the theme, ‘The Applicability of Community Service as an alternative for minor offences,’ the stakeholders –judicial officials, correctional service officials, and non-governmental groups, among others — came from different states in the South West.

In her opening address, the Chief of Staff to the Director of JDPC, Mrs Adenike Ibitara, said the seminar was to encourage more states to use community service sentencing for minor crimes instead of commuting offenders into jails every time.

Ibitara said: “This will help reduce the number of inmates in our correctional centres and we all know the benefits of having a less-congested prison, especially in the area of health.

“The deliberations will enable participants share ideas and workable templates on how to go about it, especially from states that this is already in full swing.”

In her lecture, the Deputy Chief Registrar, Administration, General and Magistracy, Oyo State Judiciary, Mrs Olumide Ogunrin, said the state is already implementing community service sentencing for minor offences.

“This has really helped us to decongest our correctional centres and this is what we have been advocating for for a long time.”

On whether community service sentencing truly deters crimes, Ogunrin said: “From our experiences, we have seen that community service deters crimes.

“You know our people have this self-consciousness as they wouldn’t want to be seen wearing a jacket in a public place carrying out community service because of a crime, and so it prevents crimes this way.

“Also, an offender can only be sentenced to carry out community service twice and after that, they will be commuted to jail. So there are many benefits to using community service as alternative for minor offences and I am commending JDPC for championing this cause”.

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