The Young Nigerian Rights Organisation has called on the Delta State justice system to take urgent steps towards prison decongestion by fully implementing provisions of the Delta State Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2022.
In a statement issued on Saturday by its lead activist, Comrade Victor Ojei, popularly known as Wong Box Nigeria, the group stressed that the law empowers courts to adopt non-custodial sentencing as a reformative approach to criminal justice.
“The Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2022 recognizes that our system must shift from punitive to reformative,” Ojei said. “Judges and magistrates now have the discretion to impose community service, probation, or other non-custodial measures instead of sentencing minor offenders to prison.”
He noted that such measures would not only reduce overcrowding but also protect minor offenders from exposure to hardened criminals.
“Community service reduces congestion in prisons, helps rehabilitate offenders, and prevents convicts who commit simple offences from mixing with hardened criminals,” he added.
The rights group also urged the state government to apply the Prerogative of Mercy, which allows for clemency, amnesty, or pardon in deserving cases.
“The Law itself endorses clemency as a useful tool in the administration of criminal justice. By granting pardon where it is due, the government can relieve overcrowded custodial facilities and restore fairness and humanity to our penal system,” Ojei emphasized.
The group appealed directly to judicial and executive authorities in Delta State to act swiftly, warning that inaction risks undermining the reform goals enshrined in the 2022 law.
“We are calling on the Delta State justice system to activate these non-custodial sentencing mechanisms and expedite the Prerogative of Mercy. These steps are essential in fostering efficiency, fairness, and rehabilitation,” Ojei said.
The statement concluded by affirming that prison decongestion is not only a legal obligation but also a moral responsibility of the state.
