Innocent prison inmates who could have become hardened criminals shall be supported to regain their freedom. Their trials shall be financially sponsored to fast track the course of Justice by hiring lawyers, providing transportation to and from courts.
After their release from prison, the freed inmates and newly released convicts shall be accommodated, clothed and fed freely and separately for three months during which period they shall be rehabilitated before their full re-integration into the society. The said period of rehabilitation shall be meaningfully spent to engage the target beneficiaries in learning new different trades in accordance with their interest and academic prowess. At the end of their training exercises, they will be empowered with relevant equipment and materials, including take-off stipend. This will enhace a smooth transition to a new life for the ex prison inmates.
Withing the aforesaid period, series of reconciliation meetings shall to place with their families to ensure a peaceful re-absorption into the families. This will indubitably deter the ex prisoners fro going back to living a life of crimes and, as such, reduce recidivism to the lowest rate possible.
A pilot project of this task took place in Ondo Prison, Ondo State of Nigeria between 2001 and 2004 when my team prison counselors were able to set four innocent prison inmates that were awaiting trials free through our activities.
We could have achieved much in our endeavour but for lack of financial support for this course because of the social stigma attached to prisoners. This has been the bane of peaceful livelihood in Nigeria for a long time. The society doesn't care for prison inmates. Once a member of our society is imprisoned, the society will forget him and leave him to be maltreated behind the bars, even, if he is suffering for non-commited offence. This act of social negligence has intigated many prison inmates against the society. They will be seeking opportunities to wreak vengeance on the society as a way of paying the society back with her own coin.
I came to discover this fact as a result of my research findings, which resulted from my divinely inspired and self-sponsored longitudinal research in Penology, for which I received a calling through a night dream on a fateful night in May, 1999.
New Life Pioneer Project, if well funded, shall strategically reduce criminal activities to the lowest rate possible.
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