My
name is Joseph Chukwu,a 400level law student a member of Okigwe prison
department of the law clinic Abia state university Umuahia campus.
December
2017 my department went to Okigwe prison in order to interview the
inmates,get their details and follow up some cases in order to the some
inmates discharged and acquitted.
Among the inmates interviewed we took up a few cases one of which was one Mr Iwuagwu.
In
order to secure Mr Iwuagwu's release we had to contact his next of
kin,obtain his charge number,charge sheet,record of proceedings etc. Mr Iwuagwu who was sentenced to 5 years improvement with an option to pay a
fine of ten thousand naira only.following up this case proved tasking
as he hailed from a very remote part of Imo state therefore making it
difficult to locate his next of kin.
After finding his next of
kin, he was very unwilling to sign surety for his brother.instead he
told us that he should remain in jail. After lots of negations with him
he finally signed the surety and we paid the fine and Mr Iwuagwu was
released to go.
As a junior clinician, this experience has
helped me to master the art of interviewing and counseling and also
appreciate its significance.
Some of the challenges
encountered was the fact that most of the inmates gave us wrong
details,phone number of kin and even the offence committed therefore
making us a times to run I'm circles
At first I was nervous
and afraid going to the prisons and interacting with the inmates however
with the help of my clinic head and senior clinicians I was able to
overcome this challenge
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