NULAI/OSIWA Pre-Trial
Project Self-Reflection
My name is Rabia Muhammad Buba, a 400 level clinician from the
University of Abuja Law Clinic and a participant in the 2018 NULAI/OSIWA Pre-trial Detention Project which has impacted me in several positive ways.
I have a strong passion about helping others however that I can, my
visit and interaction with detainees at the prison was very significant to me
because I got more exposure to learn how prison and justice systems work in
Nigeria, which without the University of Abuja law clinic I wouldn't have had this
experience.
During our visit to kuje prison, I had the interviewed a total of four
detainees which was enlightening and also touching. During these interviews,
these detainees pointed out the condition of living that they are subjected to caused by overcrowding. Overcrowding is the filling of a space or accommodation
beyond its usual or comfortable capacity.
On several occasions we have heard news about the overcrowding in prisons. For example, Kuje Prison only has capacity for five hundred and sixty
(560) inmates but houses approximately nine hundred (900) inmates,
approximately six hundred and thirty nine (639) of whom are still awaiting
trial. The inmates I had interviewed all admitted that the prison was so
congested that some of them had to sleep on the floors interchangeably , some
of which never get to sleep on beds because the stronger ones bully them.
Apart from scrambling for sleeping spaces in the cells, the overwhelming
influx of persons into the prison may cause shortage of food which leads to
poor diet of the prisoners. In addition to struggle and subsequent violence,
overcrowding may cause contagious diseases to spread incredibly fast in such
environments. When a room originally designed to house eight people and now
houses twenty people, oxygen reduces considerably, creating a breeding ground
for microscopic organisms which turn to diseases subsequently. In March 2018 a
coalition of NGOs concerned with the welfare of prisoners and seeking to
promote healthcare access in the country raised alarm over the high rate of
diabetes and skin infections of kuje prison. The NGOs comprised of Moole
Charity Health Foundation (MCF), Health Beyond Barrier Initiative Group
(HBBIG), and Conflict Free Nation (CFN).
A major cause of overcrowding in Nigerian prisons is the delay in the
dispensation of justice which is a main issue for overcrowding in prisons and
which is also the main issue this project is predicated upon. In addition to
that, the inadequate funding for the expansion of prison structures that can
handle the large influx of people detained at the prisons frequently is also a
contributing factor to this problem.
Participating in the Prison Pre-Trial Project has affected me in many
several positive ways, I have always had a zeal and passion to help people and
that is the reason I study law, after interactions with detainees during our
visit to prisons and understanding the situations in Nigerian prisons, my
passion and zeal grew stronger and fiercer. In addition to that I have further
sharpened my listening skills thanks to the opportunity of interviewing
inmates.
Working with my team mates instilled the attitude of teamwork that I had
struggled somewhat with, a better sense of dedication, diligence and further
sharpened my punctuality over the past few months of my involvement in the
Prison Pre-Trial Project. Further, this project has made me more kind to people
who are tagged "morally reprehensible people" by the society.
The Prison Pre-Trial Project has given me the opportunity to learn both
positive and negative issues with the Nigerian justice system, First I learnt
that not every detainee had gone through trial before finally bring
incarcerated in prison, furthermore, I learnt about the inability of the state
to provide an attorney to the detainees who cannot afford one as the law
provides. In addition to that my first ever interview was during the course of
this project which before then I knew nothing about, I also learnt how to write
facts of a case which we had to do after interviewing the detainees, an
important skill I also learnt during this project is professionalism, how to
maintain decorum in front of the detainees no matter my feelings about their
story, lastly I learnt to appreciate freedom more after interactions with the
detainees.
I have also learnt a lot about myself as a result of this experience. I
learnt how far my patience can stretch when working with different kinds of
people and also learnt my method of interaction with people which needs more of
fine-tuning to it.
Some detainees looked unusually thin and exhausted, some had a whiff of
smell to them, and this implies the state of welfare of these detainees. Seeing
this made me angry and sad at the same time at my country because in my view,
it has failed its people by treating inmates poorly and their rights to
standard living as provided by the law. As earlier stated, overcrowding
stretches the prison and its facilities beyond its normal capacity causing
shortage of basic amenities available to the prisoners. One of the aims of
detaining criminals is rehabilitation, allowing them to atone for their
"sins" bearing in mind that one day they would be let back into
society; this cannot be achieved in the sort of environment prisoners are
subjected to in Nigeria, the area that these detainees are in causes not only
physical harm and strain which may lead to the death of some if not properly
treated, it also causes mental strain which may result to self-infliction of
injury and also the prison ends up releasing inmates with the high tendency
than to relapse to criminal activities which generates high frequency of
recidivism. This possesses a significant problem to the Nigerian prison system
and the Nigerian society at large.
Overall, the experience of the Prison Pre-Trial project was an
educational and exciting one that introduced me to the harsh realities of the
detainees in Nigeria. It became obvious to me of the several ways the
government of the country has failed in providing adequate basic amenities to
the detainees such as expansion of the prison structures, food and healthcare.
Furthermore I have gained new values and sharpened old values; I have also had
a change in perspective about life and the legal profession. In addition to
that, I have gained helpful knowledge about the legal system in Nigeria and its
shortcomings. I believe that with these skills and knowledge I have gained
through this project, with somewhat more practice it will help me in impacting
change in the society.
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