Nigerian Correctional Service has made a number of positive changes over the last few years, however, there is a group of inmates within the system that are rarely mentioned. This lack of mention has resulted in total negligence, deprivation of fundamental rights, and in extreme cases, sexual abuse or molestations.
The group in question is the female inmates of NCoS; this was highlighted at the Project Inception workshop titled ‘Assessment of Rehabilitation Programmes and Government Budgets for Female Inmates and their Children in Nigeria” organised by the Center for Gender Economics in Africa ((CGE Africa) and Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA).
It was an unusual gathering because topics on female prison inmates are generally a rare mention in Nigeria’s political space. According to one of the Keynote speakers, Barrister
Ogechi Ogu, deputy director of PRAWA, it is because of societal stigma/taboos around female inmates. This point resonates with the general crazy assumptions that women are not supposed to commit crimes.
One major fallout of this is that as a result, even when a female is to be remanded in custody even if falsely accused, the system is not prepared to accommodate them and give them basic necessities available even for hardened male criminals. Amenities like their cell block, recreational space, a place to learn crafts, etc.
Other key points are care for children born by the inmates while in detention, peculiar needs of lactating mothers, and female personal hygiene especially during monthly cycles.
In her own paper, the Executive Director of CGE Africa, Uchenna Idoko, as expected, focusing on the economic side of women, started by sharing a relatable experience of someone who sent a message asking for how to make sanitary pads from tissue papers during the global lockdown.
She accentuates that the experiences of that individual, though not within a correctional centre, mirror the challenges faced by incarcerated women and their children. The inability to access essential hygiene products during a crisis not only jeopardises the well-being of these women but also emphasises the urgency of incorporating their needs into government budgets.
She argued that resources should be adequately budgeted for safe Housing and safety for female inmates, menstrual hygiene, maternal and child health, education and skills development, mental health support, and provisions for economic empowerment for reintegration into society upon release.
Assistant Controller General of Corrections CCS SD Kinane, who represented the Controller General of NCoS, Haliru Nababa, shared the concern of the organisers and blamed lack of funds for the delay in implementing most of the measures outlined in the workshop.
Participants also called for monitoring of current budgetary allocations to the NCoS to ensure that funds are used for what they were budgeted for. They also praised the organisers for their foresight and called for thorough research to determine the distribution of female inmates nationwide.
– Oruruo Samuel, Okechukwu
