Nigerian Prisons Get ICT Centre

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) development, has been introduced to the Nigerian prisons in an effort by the federal Government to carry prison inmates along in the fast developing industry.

A top prison staff, disclosed this in Port Harcourt on Tuesday when the students of Criminology and Security Studies of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Port Harcourt Study Centre led by its group leader, Mr. Solomon Ogbonda visited Port Harcourt prisons during an excursion.

The officer said ICT introduction to the prisons was one of the initiatives that could fast-track the rehabilitation of inmates.

He noted that the inmates were not the worst members of the society and described them as those whom  the law has recommended for rehabilitation.

According to him, the ICT, would help in developing the inmates in both primary and secondary schools of the Nigerian prisons, so that they could be better citizens upon their release.

The prison top official, who took Mr. Ogbonda and his team to the black-smith, carpentry, and sewing departments of the prisons, called on the Federal Government and its agencies to donate more sewing machines to the prisons in order to train more inmates.

He stressed how ICT and other programmes could bring out the best in the inmates, adding that public spirited individuals should not withhold their support from the prisons.

The Tide learnt that the NOUN students were in the place to identify the process of admission into prisons, appreciate the relationship between prison inmates and staff, and any other field operational procedures that could enhance the learning process of the subject to the students.