THE STATE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN NIGERIA 2005 - UNDP Nigeria ...

RECOMMENDATIONS1) The States should set up juvenile courts to prevent the situation where children and youngpersons are tried in Open Court and send to adult prisons, thereby stigmatizing the andviolating their rights private trial.2) The States Government should build the capacity of the Social Welfare Department to dealin a humane manner with children and young persons beyond parental control.3) The Police should be sensitized on the need to familiarize itself with juvenile issues in theChild Rights Act to enable it treat such issues in accordance with tenets of Child JusticeAdministration under the said Act.4) The judiciary and the police should be sensitized on the need to use diversion options inorder to decongest the prisons and police detention centres.5) The judiciary should be sensitized on the need refer appropriate awaiting trial persons tothe proper institutions like, psychiatric homes, remand homes, borstal institutions or theprison.6) Special maternal centres should be established for women, pregnant and nursing motherswho are in conflict with the law.7) Male and female borstal institutions and remand homes should be established across thecountry in order to take care of juvenile offenders.8) Awaiting trial inmates who have spent longer time than the minimum period ofimprisonment if convicted, should be considered for immediate release.9) Mechanism should be put in place for speedy trial of all offences especially, capitaloffences.10) Prison inmates above 60 years of age, who have spent five years or more awaiting trial,should be released11) Persons charged with simple offences should be summarily tried.12) Remand homes for girls should be established.13) Government should reconstruct all prisons and provide the necessary facilities to cope withthe needs of inmates.14) That the Record officers should guide visitors to properly fill the visitor’s books in theprisons, so as to provide the necessary details for data collection purposes.15) That the government agencies such as the Nigerian Prisons, the NHRC and the Legal AidCouncil, should be strengthened to enable them perform their statutory responsibility,which include assistance to prison inmates.16) Medical treatment of prison inmates and the provision of healthcare services to pregnantand nursing mothers should be accommodated under the National Health Insurance45