Many young offenders still trapped in cycles of reoffending —Adetona

With a background in corporate and energy law practice, Oluwatobi Adetona is an author and founder of The Bonafide Advocator Initiative which is providing legal aid, mentoring and reentry services to persons in correctional centers, particularly juveniles. In this interview, she speaks on the state of the juvenile justice system in Nigeria and other issues.

What are the biggest challenges young people face when reintegrating into the society after incarceration, and how can these challenges be addressed?

Some of the major challenges young people face when integrating into the society arise from the lack of re-entry support when leaving the correctional center. This ultimately leads to stigmatisation, employment and financial struggles, housing issues, difficulties in family integration, limited educational opportunities, peer pressure, substance abuse and lack of positive role models. When persons released from correctional homes have an adequate support system, which is called re-entry or aftercare support, their transition into society is usually easier, and it also prevents re-offending.

You and your team have visited quite a number of juvenile correctional centres in the country. Would you say the centres are a haven for youths who do not fully understand the implications of their actions in the eyes of the law?

I would not say the center is a refuge for youths who do not understand the gravity of their actions because once they are in the correctional centers, they seem to understand the implication of their actions. However, I would say to prevent recidivism, a lot needs to be done to improve our correctional institutions to allow them to perform their rehabilitative functions more effectively.

How important do you think legal literacy is for everyday Nigerians, and what are the common misconceptions that your book, “Law for the Layman,” seeks to address?

There is a legal knowledge deficiency in Nigeria. It is a known fact that many Nigerians do not know the law, and ignorance of the law is not an excuse. Law for the Layman aims to promote legal literacy by simplifying the law using basic language for easy comprehension and also the enforcement of those laws to enable persons to seek redress.

In your experience, how can education and aftercare services help reduce recidivism among juveniles and provide them with opportunities to rebuild their lives?

From experience, juveniles who leave the correctional center face several challenges which had earlier been mentioned. However, with a proper support system (aftercare support), which is inclusive of consistent monitoring, provision of educational opportunities, empowerment, financial and community support, these young people have a second chance to rebuild their lives.  They still have a whole life ahead of them since most of them are still in their formative years, which makes it easier to lead them on a great rehabilitative path.

Would you say young people who have at one time been in the custodial centres, have the right structure to help their reintroduction/reintegration into the society?

Nigerian correctional institutions are not rehabilitative enough. The lack of awareness on the plight of persons in correctional homes is another challenge. However, where there are adequate social safety nets such as community support for persons leaving the correctional institutions, their reintegration would be much easier and the impact would be felt in the criminal justice system.

How can legal professionals contribute to improving the welfare of juveniles in correctional centers, and what changes would you like to see in the juvenile justice system in Nigeria?

There are several ways legal professionals (lawyers and judges) can improve the welfare of juveniles in correctional centers in Nigeria. These include advocacy and sensitisation on crime desistance, access to justice, particularly legal representation. Some of these minors do not have lawyers to represent them in court, and this makes them spend several years in detention. I would also like to see quick dispensation of justice and a legal system that focuses more on rehabilitation rather than punishment. A widespread youth sensitisation on crime desistance is another change I would like to see as the world is currently dealing with a general increase in youth crime. On top of that is the provision of consistent re-entry support, more rehabilitative correctional institutions, and the use of restorative justice approach, which is beneficial to offenders, victims and society,

What role do you believe policymakers, NGOs, and communities should play in preventing youth crime and supporting the rehabilitation of young offenders?

Every stakeholder of the justice system has a role to play. Lawmakers should prioritise enacting laws that prescribe rehabilitation of young offenders rather than punishment. Our laws need to strengthen restorative justice, develop policies that address social disparities and poverty in the country, and address the lack of data in the correctional justice system. For NGOs, they should provide more sensitisation on the challenges of the juvenile justice system and crime desistance, as well as mentorship and reintegration support. The communities from which these young people come and would likely return should also not be left out. They should partner with both policy makers and NGOs to foster an environment that supports juveniles, addresses stigmatisation and creates an enabling atmosphere for their re-entry. I believe that these stakeholders should regularly collaborate to address the challenges in the juvenile justice system.

With rising crime rates among youths, what do you believe are the root causes of this trend, and how can society work to address them effectively?

At BOFAI, we have observed a troubling trend that despite efforts to rehabilitate young offenders, many juveniles remain trapped in cycles of reoffending. Some of the root causes that bring juveniles into conflict with the law includes socioeconomic challenges (poverty and limited opportunity as some of these youths come from impoverished backgrounds and violent communities), lack of education (inadequate educational opportunities as are there are several out-of-school children in Nigeria), and systemic barriers (lack of rehabilitative system and re-entry support to support their reintegration) continue to hinder their opportunities and limit their choices. The aforementioned challenges can be addressed through development of policies that reduce social disparities and poverty in the country and effective collaboration with civil societies and communities to address these core issues.

What inspired you to focus on providing reentry services and mentorship for juveniles in correctional centers?

It started during my early childhood after witnessing the frustrating experiences people had to go through because they had no legal representation. The lack of access to justice for indigents without legal representation has put many people in a situation where they remained behind bars in deplorable prison conditions awaiting trial for several years. Later during my undergraduate years, through the university legal clinic, I visited correctional institutions in remote communities of Ondo State with the aim of providing legal support to awaiting trial inmates. I have also been an advocate for child’s rights due to the large number of out-of-school children in the state, sensitising secondary school students on the demerits of delinquent behaviours. When BOFAI was established and we started visiting juvenile correctional centers, we realised that the centers could not provide us with information on minors and youths leaving the home. Then and there, we decided to focus on this area for more lasting impact and prevention of recidivism.

What are some of the most impactful projects you’ve worked on through BOFAI, so far?

BOFAI has been privileged to work on several impactful projects since it was established in 2020. Some of our significant projects include providing legal advisory to indigents during the pandemic. Furthermore, we have visited several juvenile correctional centers to mentor over a thousand young persons with consistent follow-ups. Through the support of our generous partners, we also provided educational and relief materials to these vulnerable people.

Additionally, through our Aftercare programme, we have followed up on several juveniles and youths who left the correctional home. Some of the people we provided aftercare support now manage their own businesses, some are in school (one of them is studying in the United States), some have been provided with financial and housing support, counselling and empowerment to ensure their successful reintegration and prevent recidivism. Again, we have collaborated with other organisations to sensitise communities on the challenges of the juvenile justice system. Currently, we are providing legal representation to a few young persons at the Special Correctional Center for boys, Oregun standing trial who lack legal representation.

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