The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has appealed for stronger collaboration with the media to help reshape public perceptions of correctional facilities, inmates and the reintegration of former offenders into society.

The Service’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Corrections Jane Osuji, made the appeal on Thursday during a courtesy visit to LEADERSHIP Newspapers at its corporate headquarters in Abuja.

Osuji, the first female spokesperson of the NCoS, said the visit formed part of her media familiarisation programme after she was appointed to the position late last year.

She was accompanied by Superintendent of Corrections Monday Chukwu Emeka and Assistant Superintendent of Corrections Anayo Okoro, both members of the Public Relations Unit at the NCoS National Headquarters in Abuja.

During the visit, Osuji identified the media as a key stakeholder in the Service’s efforts to inform Nigerians about its mandate and the reforms being implemented across the correctional system.

“My mission here today is just to formally present myself as the service Public Relations Officer. Late last year, I was appointed to the service Public Relations Office.

“I know my responsibilities. I know my first stakeholders. People that without them, I would be blinking and dancing in the dark. That is the media,” she said.

She said LEADERSHIP was among the media organisations she considered important to the familiarisation exercise, pointing out that the newspaper and the NCoS had enjoyed a cordial relationship over the years.

Osuji also praised LEADERSHIP for what she described as fair and balanced reporting. According to her, the newspaper had consistently held government institutions accountable while maintaining professional standards.

“I know that as a government institution you can’t always have it positive. But even when you have to do your job of holding those accountable, you have been fair in doing that. And we recognise that as a service,” she said.

However, the NCoS spokesperson expressed concern over what she described as inadequate reporting on the role of corrections within Nigeria’s criminal justice administration. She attributed part of the challenge to outdated public perceptions about imprisonment.

“From our research, we realise that corrections being part of the criminal justice administration is underreported,” Osuji said.

She explained that a significant number of Nigerians continued to view an offender’s journey as effectively over once the person had been convicted and taken into custody.

“A lot of people just feel that once offenders are sentenced and they are brought to us, that’s the end of the journey. That’s the end of the matter. And then once you hear somebody has been to prisons, that’s the end of his life.

“But the philosophy has changed. A lot has changed,” she said.

Osuji said the Service’s current approach centres on correction, reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration, with various programmes intended to prepare inmates for productive lives following their release.

She disclosed that the NCoS had begun an enlightenment campaign aimed at improving public understanding of its mandate, inmate welfare and the programmes operating across correctional facilities.

The campaign will highlight areas including vocational and educational training, healthcare, psychological support, religious counselling and reintegration initiatives.

According to Osuji, medical personnel, clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, doctors, nurses and chaplaincy workers are involved in rehabilitating inmates, including individuals convicted of violent extremist offences.

“These are things we do that we would like to throw spotlight on,” she said.

She also drew attention to the Service’s aftercare programme, which assists former inmates after release by providing skills, tools, stipends and follow-up support.

“What we do, we don’t just equip them with skills, whether vocational or educational. We empower them with tools in that area. And then we follow up. For some, we give stipends. For some, we give those tools to help them settle. And we try to monitor what are they doing. That’s what aftercare takes care of,” she said.

Osuji cautioned that inadequate opportunities and support for former inmates to earn a living could allow the stigma surrounding incarceration to undermine rehabilitation and potentially drive some individuals back into crime.

“It’s good that he wants to stay away from crime, if not, he will go back. And then it will be said that he left prison worse than he came,” she said.

The NCoS spokesperson also cautioned members of the public against communicating with inmates through mobile phones and other unauthorised communication devices.

She said correctional officers who negligently or deliberately permit inmates to possess prohibited devices could be sanctioned. Members of the public who knowingly communicate with inmates through unauthorised channels could also face legal consequences.

Osuji referred to the case of a woman who publicly boasted about communicating with inmates, noting that her comments could have inadvertently exposed her to legal consequences.

“A lot of people don’t know that is self indictment. She didn’t know she was indicting herself,” Osuji said.

She added that a person convicted of the offence could receive a prison term of not less than three years, a N3 million fine, or both.

Also speaking, Superintendent of Corrections Monday Chukwu Emeka said the NCoS could not effectively communicate its activities without the cooperation of the media.

He praised LEADERSHIP for its coverage and called for the relationship between the newspaper and the Service to be strengthened.

“We want to commend you on that and also extend our hands of friendship, which we are already working together to do more, to put out,” he said.

The Head of Story at LEADERSHIP Newspapers, Adebayo Amodu, said successful reintegration should remain a major measure of achievement within the correctional system. He noted that negative public attitudes towards former inmates continued to pose a significant challenge.

“I want to believe that one of the major achievements of a correctional outfit is reintegration into the society. And we still have issues with that,” Amodu said.

He advised the NCoS to use LEADERSHIP’s podcast, social media platforms and other digital outlets to increase public awareness about correctional services, rehabilitation and reintegration.

“Mass media now, print media now, is more than newspaper, like LEADERSHIP now. People will think that because it’s a LEADERSHIP newspaper, what we do is only print.

“No, we have a podcast today. We are very strong on social media. And you know that there are a lot of people in that space,” he said.

Amodu further proposed that NCoS officials appear on the LEADERSHIP podcast to discuss correctional reforms and educate the public about actions that could potentially bring individuals into conflict with the law.

The Managing Editor of LEADERSHIP Newspapers, Raliat Ahmed-Yusuf, also called on the NCoS to make information about legitimate ways members of the public can support correctional facilities more readily available.

“If I want to donate something, it doesn’t matter how much, people are ready to give. But they don’t know how to give. The information is not available yet,” she said.

Responding, Osuji explained that individuals and organisations interested in visiting or supporting correctional facilities should submit formal written requests to the relevant facility, identify themselves and explain the purpose of their visit.

“Let us know who you are, let us know what your intentions are, then we can schedule you to come,” she said.

She explained that visitors would subsequently receive guidance on the approved procedures and items permitted within correctional facilities.

Ahmed-Yusuf welcomed the explanation and urged the NCoS to make such information available online so that willing individuals and organisations could more easily provide legitimate support.

Osuji assured the newspaper’s management that the suggestions would be considered, emphasising that sustained cooperation with the media would be necessary to change public perceptions of corrections.

The visit concluded with both organisations reaffirming their commitment to deepening their partnership and improving public understanding of the NCoS mandate, rehabilitation programmes and efforts to reintegrate former inmates into society.

Source: leadership