Lateef Fagbemi, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, advocate for the judicious application of non-custodial sentencing by Judges and Magistrates across the country.
He highlighted that, according to the 2015 Administration of Criminal Justice Act, non-custodial sentences are given precedence.
He underscored the guidelines in place, which detail the requirements and procedures for imposing non-custodial sentencing to prevent abuse.
Fagbemi delivered remarks at the workshop discussing the implementation of the Non-Custodial Measures and Sentencing Guidelines under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 in Abuja on Monday.
Represented by the Director of Administration of Criminal Justice and Reforms Department/Correctional Unit, Federal Ministry of Justice, Latricia Ayoola-Daniels, he noted that the purpose of non-custodial measures is to find effective alternatives to imprisonment for offenders.
The AGF added that countries of the world are shifting attention from sentencing offenders to prisons to non-custodial centres.
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He said, ‘The Administration of Criminal Justice Act was enacted and came into force on May 13, 2015. The Act placed a premium on non-custodial sentences.
In accordance with ACJA 2015, the Federal Government has issued guidelines outlining the requirements and procedures for imposing Non-Custodial sentencing, aiming to ensure reasonable uniformity and fairness.
‘To facilitate the application and effective use of the non-custodial sentencing, the legal and regulatory framework must be effectively implemented.’
‘The purpose of non-custodial measures is to find effective alternatives to imprisonment for offenders. This is in accordance with the current global shift in punishing convicts with alternatives to prison terms.’
The AGF highlighted that incarcerating minor offenders has contributed to the surge in the population of awaiting trial inmates, making it challenging to facilitate the rehabilitation of these individuals.
He said, ‘Today we have seen countless cases where defendants are arrested for minor offences and locked up in prisons adding to the population of awaiting trial inmates. These offenders remanded with hardened criminals end up being initiated into a life of crime instead of being reformed.’