Lagos State Prison Watch Calls for Community Service to Decongest Prisons

The Lagos State Prison Watch (comprising state counsels from Citizens Right, Office of the Public Defender and Community Service) has urged courts in the state to assist in the decongestion of prisons by giving precedence to non-custodial sentences, PUNCH reports.

The group said it had begun advocacy for convicts of minor offences to serve the community instead of going to jail.

Director of Citizens Rights, Clara Ibirogba who spoke on Sunday when the team visited Badagry Prison said counsels from the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) would appeal to the courts to hand down more of non-custodial sentences.

“Counsel from the OPD shall urge the courts to hand down more of non-custodial sentences as opposed to imprisonments for minor offences. This will aid in decongestion of the prisons,” she said.