Prison Decongestion: Ebonyi Secures Release Of 328 Inmates

The commissioner for Justice and attorney-general of Ebonyi State, Dr Uruchi Odo, has said the state government has secured the release of 328 inmates through its prison decongestion programme comprising of prerogative of mercy and other components of its articulated strategic legal framework, the People’s Charter of Justice.

Odo who made the disclosure when he delivered his scorecard at the maiden Public Accountability Forum organised for his office codenamed: “AG Open Forum 2.0 (Empowering Citizens, Advancing Justice)”, restated the commitment of the ministry to advancing reforms in justice delivery and citizens unfettered access to justice as a means of decongesting the Correctional Centres in the state.

He said the forum was powered under the HAG’s-civil society collaboration desk, adding that apart from improving the ministry’s infrastructure and enhancing capacity of legal officers, its introduction and advancement of the victim-offender mediation in justice delivery had enhanced restorative justice system in the state, promoted the pillars of reconciliation, restoration, reintegration and restitution.

Odo saidt the Ebonyi Multi-door Court House, Ebonyi State Citizens’ Mediation Centre and the Office of the Public Defender established by the administration in the ministry have enhanced mediation, arbitration and conciliation in justice delivery.

He said the ministry had trained over 20 lawyers as chartered arbitrators, noting that the Citizens’ Mediation Centre had helped in reducing unreasonable litigations.

The commissioner stated that paucity of funds, bureaucratic bottlenecks, language barrier and how to improve judicial officers welfare are some of the challenges faced by the ministry.

The initiator of the event and technical assistant to the Justice Commissioner, Oluchi Esther Nwite, said that the forum is aimed at fostering citizens’ engagement and participation as well as provide a forum for accountability and transparency to citizens of Ebonyi State.

The state commissioner for Information and State Orientation Chief Ikeuwa Omebe commended the attorney-general for the initiative which he described as first of its kind and pledged to partner with the Justice Ministry to achieve the goals of effective justice delivery in the state.