Make Community Service An Alternative Punishment For Minor Offences- JDPC
The Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) of the Catholic Archdiocese of Ibadan is actively promoting community service as an alternative punishment for minor offences. This initiative aims to decongest the nation’s prisons and genuinely reform offenders to prevent recidivism.
At a recent seminar held at JDPC’s head office in Ibadan, Oyo State, stakeholders from the justice and correctional sectors convened to discuss the viability of community service as a sentencing option. The event, themed “The Applicability of Community Service as an Alternative for Minor Offences,” attracted judicial officials, correctional service officials, and representatives from non-governmental organizations from various states in the South West.
In her opening address, Mrs. Adenike Ibitara, Chief of Staff to the Director of JDPC, emphasized the importance of adopting community service sentences for minor crimes instead of resorting to incarceration. “This will help reduce the number of inmates in our correctional centres, and we all know the benefits of having less congested prisons, particularly concerning health,” Ibitara stated. She added that the seminar was an opportunity for participants to share ideas and effective strategies, especially from states where community service is already implemented.
Mrs. Olumide Ogunrin, Deputy Chief Registrar, Administration, General and Magistracy of the Oyo State Judiciary, highlighted the successful implementation of community service sentencing in Oyo State. “This has significantly helped us decongest our correctional centres, and it is something we have been advocating for a long time,” Ogunrin said.
Addressing the deterrent effect of community service, Ogunrin noted, “Our experiences show that community service does deter crimes. People have a sense of self-consciousness and would not want to be seen performing community service in public for committing a crime. Additionally, an offender can only be sentenced to community service twice; after that, they face jail time. There are many benefits to using community service as an alternative for minor offences, and I commend JDPC for championing this cause.”
The seminar underscored the potential of community service to improve the justice system by offering a humane and effective alternative to imprisonment for minor offences.
