Decongesting Nigerian Cerrectional services: An Outline and Critique of the Efforts under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015

Congestion in the Nigerian Prison is a well-known phenomenon; over the years, it has hindered the aim of the prison to rehabilitate offenders back to the society. Even though the aim of establishing the prison institution in Nigeria is to provide a rehabilitation and correctional facility for people who have violated the rules and regulations of the society, in practice, achievement of this aim has been a mirage, occasioned by prison congestion. Several attempts have been made to decongest the prisons but none has yielded any positive result. In view of this, this paper examines the dynamics and polemics of the Nigerian prison system, and how to overcome them. It posits that the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA)2015came with some needful provisions that are related to prison decongestion and it is a welcome development if it will not just be on paper but carefully implemented. The article begins with conceptualization of the key terms; it briefly narrates the historical overview and provides empirical evidence of prison congestion in Nigeria, and describes causes and consequences. More importantly, it outlines the efforts under the ACJAgeared toward decongesting the prison; and concludes that enforcement of the relevant provisions of the law is paramount in the realization of prison decongestion in Nigeria.

Keywords: Decongestion, Nigerian Prisons, Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.