…builds capacity of correctional officers 

By Gabriel Ewepu 

ABUJA – AS prison congestion and awaiting trial continue to persist in the nation’s justice system, the Public and Private Development Centre, PPDC, has expressed optimism that with the deployment of Corrections Information Management System, CIMS, correctional facilities will be revolutionized and also boost inmate management.

Speaking with Vanguard on the sidelines of the three-day workshop tagged ‘Capacity Building Training for Corrections Officers’, the Programme Manager, PPDC, Vivian Akagha, explained that the capacity building became imperative in order to ensure Nigeria is at par with her counterparts in the international community as far the justice system is concerned.

Meanwhile, the training focused on the use and implementation of the Corrections Information Management System’, to improve data management and operational efficiency within correctional facilities, and to raise awareness and highlight the importance of technological advancements in corrections management.

PPDC is a citizen sector organisation established in 2003, driven by the desire to have a more transparent and accountable government as well as citizens empowered to actively participate in governance processes. 

Akagha said: “This is a CIMS training called Correctional Information Management System, and it is a system that would enable correctional officers to have a record of the inmates in their custodial centres. 

“Apart from record, it is also for accountability purposes, a situation where prisoners are not lost in the system, they can easily be tracked, also to know that this prisoner needs to appear before a judge in two days or in six months time. 

“The training we are having today is to enable the officers to be able to use and manage the CIMS technology.”

She also explained that the CIMS technology ensures that inmates are not lost in the system, safety for civilians outside, saying, “if there is any escape, we are sure that since we have the data and fingerprints of the inmates, they are able to track them wherever they are. 

“But at this point in time, we can also hear from the news that in the event of prison breaks, criminals are lost and we cannot even trace them, and then they live in perpetuity of their crimes around other places where they are not known, it is one of the ways of coping with insecurity, at the same time, the law enforcement officers are accountable for what is happening in the custodial centers.” 

She made it known that the technology has be deployed at their six implementing states; Niger, Kaduna, Plateau, Imo, Nasarawa, and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

However, she said the technology is new in the correctional system, and yet to be used to trace inmates who had escaped, “We just deployed these systems and now we are training the officers on how to use it within the past three months. So we are confident and positive that it’s going to be able to do that. By the time we are having our evaluation, within the next 12 months.”

According to her (Akagha), “the big challenge now is sustainability, apart from the fact that we have to train the officers to use it. Sustainability is what we are really having a challenge with.

“We are hoping that the government, well-meaning Nigerian institutions, even the courts and other well-meaning individuals can take up the process of getting this across to different custodial centres in Nigeria. And then apart from that, even with the maintenance, we are hoping that the Nigerian government also would help with ensuring that this is a continuous engagement.” 

Meanwhile, the Programme Manager, Access to Justice, managing the Court Administration and Case Management Project, PPDC, Mariam Omeiza, disclosed that the Project has digitized many courts in their implementing states as 100 cases have been heard via virtual court hearing.

“Today we have digitized 61 courts in Nigeria across our implementing states. So another thing that we try to do is also provide virtual hearing, digital infrastructures for the correctional centers because the challenge that we have been able to identify is the logistic challenge of moving inmates from the correctional centers to the courts. 

“And unfortunately, this is a reality. So what we have tried to do now is create that linkage in terms of virtual court hearings. So now you don’t have to move the inmates from the correctional centers to the courts for their cases to be heard. In fact, early this year, Nasarawa State had reported over 100 cases that have been heard via virtual court hearing”, she stated.

The participants hailed the initiative and intervention by PPDC for its consistent commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s justice system through innovation, partnership, and results-driven interventions, describing the CIMS as a turning point – Accurate capture and management of inmate data; Tracking case progress and detention timelines; Improved coordination with courts, police, and legal aid providers; Reduction in errors associated with manual record-keeping; Strengthening transparency, accountability, and institutional efficiency.