– Says convicted offenders with minor jail terms now serve from home
As part of her efforts to improve her services and working conditions, the Nigerian Correctional Service, (NCoS) formerly known as Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS), has introduced a noble unit called, ‘Non-Custodial Unit. Deputy Superintendent of Corrections (Non-Custodial),Idiabana K.Christopher disclosed this on behalf of the Deputy Controller of Corrections, Agbor during a scheduled visit to Ika Mirror office last Thursday, November 19. Dsc. Idiabana was accompanied in the visit by Dsc. Egun Tuesday, Assistant Superintendent of Corrections (Asc.) Odozi Ngozi, Asc. Ayiba Stella and Asc. Osafile Cyril.
Idiabana explained that the Non-Custodial Unit is under the umbrella of Nigerian Correctional Service, and its role is to handle issues of convicted offenders whose cases and jail terms are minor, noting that rather than serve their jail terms in the Corrections Custody, henceforth, they are to serve from home as they carry out Community services such as public street sweeping, grass cutting, gutter clearing, tidying of public place such as markets, local government council premises, among other public places.
He pointed out that the new innovation is a way of decongesting the prisons especially, in a situation where the case of the convicted offender was a trivial one.
Speaking further, he stated that the unit serves as mediator between the victim and the offender.
He explained that in a situation where a convicted offender absconded, a relative or community representative that signed as a surety for him or her will be held responsible.
He used the medium to call on concerned sons and daughters of Ika land to help NCoS in any way they can by providing them with office space to ease their works.
Responding, Publisher, Ika Mirror Newspaper, Mr. Augustine Ekamagule, thanked Dsc. Idiabana and other officers of Nigerian Correctional Service who accompanied him in the visit. He commended NCoS for the introduction of the Non-Custodial Unit. While describing it as a welcome development, he promised to use his medium to help develop the new unit.
Augustine Ekamagule and officers from Nigerian Correctional Service, Agbor during a scheduled visit to Ika Mirror office, Agbor
