Nigerian Prisons Service Now To Be Known As The Nigerian Prisons And Correctional Service

The Nigerian Prison Service has been renamed following the third reading and passage of “A Bill for an Act to repeal the Prisons Act Cap. P29 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and enact the Nigerian Prisons and Correctional Service, to make comprehensive provisions for the administration of Prisons in Nigeria and for related purposes” by the Senate.
The passage of the bill was sequel to the amendment of the prisons act which was presented by the Senate Committe on Interior Abubakar Bagudu
By its passage, the service is now to be addressed as “The Nigerian Prisons and Correctional Service.”
According to the Bill, the name change is “to underscore the humane aspect of the reform focus of prisons administrations and to conform to provisions in the international instrument.”
The Senate while noting that the term ‘hard labour’ is a carry over from the colonial era, also approved a recommendation that it be expugned and replaced with ‘prison labour’ instead.
Before its passage, Senate President, David Mark called for implementation of the contents of the bill noting that “if well implemented, will ensure that when our prisoners come out, they’ll be reformed and not made…eh… harder criminals” he said.