Over 250 Prison Inmates Take Advantage Of Plea Bargain, Restorative Justice In Lagos

More than 250 prison inmates in the Ikoyi and Kirikiri Medium Correctional Centres in Lagos State have taken advantage of the plea bargain and restorative justice sensitisation programme recently organised by the state’s Ministry of Justice.

The Director of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Babajide Martins, made the disclosure at the Kirikiri Medium and Maximum Custodial Centres when he led officials of the ministry to a plea bargain and restorative justice sensitization session for awaiting trial inmates.

The process which is aimed at decongesting correctional facilities in the state, according to Martins, is in line with Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu’s reform initiative in the administration of criminal justice in the state.

The director explained that the plea bargain process, which is in collaboration with the state command of the National Correctional Centre, the state Judiciary and the state police command, will assist in reducing the population of inmates awaiting trials in correctional facilities in the state.

He listed severity of the offence, length of sentences and acceptance or rejection of the offers by the Judge as major determinants in a plea bargain process.

The Coordinator Restorative Justice Centre, Adenike Oluwafemi noted that the restorative justice and plea bargain process is in compliance with the state justice law 2015.

“Restorative Justice is an approach to justice that aims to get offenders to take responsibility for their actions, to understand the harm they have caused, to give them an opportunity to redeem themselves, and to discourage them from causing further harm. For victims, its goal is to give them an active role in the process and to reduce feelings of anxiety and powerlessness”, she said.

Oluwafemi outlined the reduction of recidivism, increasing victim satisfaction, strengthening communities, decongestion of correctional centres, reducing incarceration, and increasing public confidence in the justice system as some of the goals of the state restorative justice programme.