The Chairman of the O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation, Dr. Seinye O.B. Lulu-Briggs, has called for urgent reforms to make Nigeria’s correctional facilities more humane and liveable, ensuring they are equipped with adequate amenities.

She emphasised that inmates should be treated with dignity to reduce the likelihood of reoffending upon release, highlighting the critical need to address the country’s high recidivism rates.

Speaking at the inauguration of crucial infrastructure renovations at the Degema Medium-Security Correctional Centre in Rivers State, Lulu-Briggs pointed out that overcrowded prisons contribute to poor living conditions, deprivation, and increased violence.

The event also marked the launch of a two-day Free Medical Mission for the facility’s inmates by the O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation. The foundation constructed two new septic tanks, a functional drainage system, remodelled Cell Block C, the main and make-shift kitchens, and a female washroom at the sentre.

In 2015, the Foundation upgraded the correctional centre’s septic tank and treated 267 inmates at a one-day free medical mission on September 4, 2017.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation, which is marking its 23rd anniversary, donated rice and hand sanitisers to the Centre while periodically bringing cooked meals to the inmates. It also liaises with the Chapel of God International Worship Centre, which routinely visits the Degema Correctional Centre to evangelise.

Represented by Mrs. Ibiere Akpana at the inauguration ceremony, Dr. Lulu-Briggs emphasised that the foundation’s efforts align with its mission to uphold human dignity, justice, and societal transformation.

She said the intervention “furthers our mission of implementing sustainable interventions that enhance the quality of life and livelihoods of the under-served, affirming the value of every human life.

“Prisons are often viewed solely as places of punishment, but we believe they are also places of rehabilitation and hope. By improving the living conditions here through the facilities we have just renovated, we are enhancing the physical space and affording them the facility to enhance their rehabilitation.”

Dr Lulu-Briggs lamented the dire conditions in Nigerian prisons, including overcrowding, poor nutrition and the high number of inmates awaiting trial.

She stressed that these issues must be addressed for the well-being of inmates and the safety and stability of society at large.

“When prisoners are released without receiving the necessary support to reintegrate into society, the chances of them reoffending rise significantly. Without proper rehabilitation and correction in a correctional facility, they may struggle to settle back into society, which can lead to a cycle of crime that affects us all,” Dr Lulu-Briggs said.

To address these issues, Dr. Lulu-Briggs proposed four long-term solutions. They include building better correctional facilities, digitalising the records of awaiting trial persons, regularly reviewing cases involving persons awaiting trial and early release schemes for well-behaved inmates, and considering suspended sentences for minor offences.

Dr Lulu-Briggs, whose Foundation partners the Rivers State branches of the Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA) and African Women Lawyers Association to render support services to accused and awaiting trial persons, primarily women and girls, across custodial centres in Rivers State to ensure that they are not unjustly incarcerated, said these long-term solutions will go a long way.

Controller, Degema Prisons, Felix Madumere, thanked the O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation for its constant support for the Centre and others in Rivers State.

He urged other non-governmental organisations, corporate Nigeria and well-meaning individuals to support the Nigerian Correctional Services in caring for inmates and ensuring they are rehabilitated.