The Nigeria Correctional Service is still a prison (2)

The name of the Nigeria Prisons Service has been changed to Nigeria Correctional Service for over two years now, but everything in the service and system has remained exactly the same. This goes to show that mere name change is never enough to produce desired transformation unless there is a deliberately planned actionable steps to make the entity reflect it’s new name in spirit and in deed.

To make the Nigeria Correctional Service a completely different entity performing excellently and admirably in contrary to the character of the Nigerian Prison Service which it was meant to replace will require a lot of planning, strategizing and reorientation for the inmates, the officers and stakeholders of the establishment. The officers and men must first be brought to terms with the difference in the purpose of a prison and a correctional institution. The new mandate must be well communicated to them and all the people with oversight or complementary functions over the institution. All other cooperating agencies must be appropriately prepared and carried along as well.

In addition, all issues that will affect the officers and men from succeeding in midwifing and managing the transition must be well taken care off. The mindset of the officers and men must be redirected from that of a Prison warden to that of a correctional officer. The facilities must be remodelled to be in alignment with the new mandate. If these are not done efficiently and effectively, any change of name will remain at best an ordinary change of name without a commensurate change in character. It is hard to say that these issues were addressed before the President approved the name change proposal presented to him in 2019.

What’s the purpose of a correctional service? Answering such a question is key in addressing performance. In all developed clime across the world the purpose is largely the same.
Looking at South Australia’s example for instance, “the objective is to improve the outcomes for offenders.” What this means is that the offenders is the primary focus.

“This is done through measures to reduce reoffending and provide for successful reintegration back into the community. The use of meaningful and targeted rehabilitation and education and training programs is key to this objective, in addition to effective partnerships with other government departments, community based organisations, volunteers and the private sector.” This latter part of the objective means the outcomes for the society at large is the secondary focus. When the Correctional facility is competently run, the society stands to benefit immediately and immensely. From the glimpse observable of our correctional facility at the moment, it doesn’t appear as though the handlers of the system are committed to whatever the set out objectives are.

Nigeria government is fond of pretending to love progressive development but it’s actions almost always reveal the poverty of sincere desire for true progress and development within the polity. This national affliction is the reason for Nigeria’s all motion but no speed and no progress in every agency of government and all sectors of our economic and social lives. Our government doubtless knows how to copy the best ideas in the world but they lack the common sense, wisdom and capacity to paste what they have copied as it should be done. This malady reduces every government- initiated or state-driven project or vision no matter how lofty it is to mere slogan, empty campaign and soulless pursuits that are BID – brought in dead.

This sadly is the story of the transformation of Nigeria’s Prison Service to Nigeria Correctional Service. The container has been painted and rebranded by the government represented by the Minister of Interior but the content is left unconsidered, unplanned for and unattended to. The concomitant effect is like Jesus’ metaphor of a white washed sepulchre which glitters outside and stinks in it’s very core to the chagrin of everything and anyone unfortunate to interact with the core.

It is a common saying in management lexicon that proper planning prevents poor performance. The corollary of this is that improper planning prevents perfect performance or promotes poor performance. A thorough assessment of any project sponsored by the Nigerian government, ministries, departments and agencies will reveal how diametrically opposed to proper planning Nigerians administrators are. Almost every project reels with egoistic expedition, selfish ambitions and personal, religious or ethnic hidden agenda. That is why policies, programs and projects in Nigeria have greater chances of failure and slimmer chances of success.

The goings on in the Nigeria Prisons Service or Correctional Service are shielded from most Nigerians. As a result, most Nigerians don’t bother about it until they have a reason to pay a visit to the Prison. Even as a visitor, you can only see a tip of the iceberg. It is difficult to see or know many of the things going on behind the walls unless one is an inmate or a staff. One of the other ways to know the truth about the state of affairs is to speak with an inmate or a staff.

Any forthright discussions with inmates or members of staff about Nigeria’s Correctional facility reveals how far we are from the ideal. It will show the inquisitor officers who do their work halfheartedly because they feel the system is not concerned about their wellbeing. It will reveal workers who lack passion for the work because they think corruption has turned the establishment into an enclave where those connected to the power at the top get promotions and benefits that should be driven by fairness and equity. Espirit de corp is destroyed by many cases of juniors who have been promoted twice above those who were once their superior. As a result of the selective ‘goodness’ of the management and lack of good leadership, many officers creatively device ways to profit from the system and get themselves extra change to get by.

The extra-curricula activities of most of the officers and men automatically make them unqualified to be correctional agents. As a result, they lose control of the inmates and all manner of illegal and unlawful activities get practiced behind the walls without check. An ongoing soap opera titled Venge showing Mondays to Fridays on DSTV has managed to break through the prison barriers to dramatically portray life behind the walls of our correctional facilities. To most people who watch the series, the scenes in that world class drama produced by Tosin Igho are nothing but mere drama. Sadly, the happenstances in that soap are a good mirror of the best we have done with our prisons service. They help us to see how difficult it is for anyone to spend time in those facilities and return a better person.

A lot has to be done by the government also to sincerely address the perennial problem of prison overload / congestion which is majorly caused by police departments that are not thorough, scientific, creative and compassionate; and judges that are too much in a hurry to rule that accused persons be remanded in prison custody on cases they have not dispassionately considered. An overloaded prison presents a huge needless burden to the officers and men of the correctional service. Correctional activities will be easier and more impactful in a prison that is not overloaded with inmates.

Nigeria Prisons can truly become correctional centers where the return rate of offenders is drastically reduced to the lowest level possible. They can become nurseries of destiny transformation where people go in as offenders but come out as agents of change. To achieve this will never be business as usual. The time to try and force the change is now.

Osho is a public affairs specialist, a change advocate and a development architect.