The Centre for Legal Support and Inmate Rehabilitation has called for increased enrolment of prison inmates in the formal education system to make them better persons.
The group made the call last week during the launch of the Nigerian chapter of the Global Freedom Scholars Network.
The event, with the theme, ‘Maximising Education as a Rehabilitation Tool for Justice-Impacted Persons’ held in Ikeja, Lagos.
Speaking at the event, CELSIR’s Executive Director, Joke Aladesanmi, stated that the network brought together individuals impacted by the justice system who had utilised education to advocate for improved prison education.
She said, “We are dedicated to amplifying education and advocating its availability and accessibility to marginalised incarcerated persons.
“CELSIR’s major intervention is providing educational support, including secondary and post-secondary preparation, leveraging technology, enrolling prisoners in educational programmes, and supplying educational resources.
“Over 350 incarcerated individuals have benefited from their educational assistance projects, including a prison library project and the introduction of NOUN. We have quite more people who have benefitted from it.”
The Executive Director of Incarcerated Nations Network, Baz Dreisinger, described education as a fundamental human right for incarcerated individuals and that university-level education in prisons fosters leadership and promotes structural change in justice systems globally.
(PUNCH)