A prison facility in Kaduna State where juvenile delinquents are reformed needs retooling,
reports GBENGA OMOKHUNU
Master Jubril Suliman, an inmate at Borstal Training Institute (BTI), a remand home in Kaduna State, is happy to have stayed off hard drugs for well over a year since he was brought into the facility. He is also a trainee tailor hoping to make a career in fashion designing. But he is worried that his tailoring unit lacks materials.
“I am in the tailoring workshop,” said the Nasarawa State youth, described as one of the hardest-working boys in the facility.
“We need materials for practical. We need the support of well-meaning Nigerians to improve on our skills while in this place. I have really learnt a lot here. I have been here for 20 months now; that is one year and eight months.
The institute was established in 1960 as a youth reformation arm of the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS), catering only to males aged between 16 and 21. They are said to be juveniles beyond parental control or in conflict with the law but mentally stable. They are admitted into the institution for training or reformation.
The NPS remand facility meant to train and reorient juvenile offenders needs to be revitalised for better performance.
Our correspondent’s tour of the facility revealed that almost everything there is not functioning.
The principal of BTI, Dr. Dora Ofobrukweta appealed for assistance from government and well-meaning Nigerians, saying that the Prisons Service has only three of such in the country, one in Kaduna, one in Ilorin, the third in Abeokuta.
Ofobrukweta said that juvenile delinquency was one of the most pressing social problems with detrimental emotional, physical and economic effects in the communities.
She said that if not given proper attention, the delinquent would constitute a major challenge to the society.
The training, she said, takes a period of three years, each admission backed by legal mandate from either the high court or Chief Magistrate Court.
The officer in charge called on the government, corporate organisations and well-off individuals to partner with the NPS in order to achieve its objectives.
Her words: ‘’If we do not correct them and at the same time providing them with alternative means of earning comfortable and viable living after their formal education, we run the risk of having them fall back to criminality.
‘’Therefore, for the NPS to ensure that it meets its objectives, all hands must be on deck as the government cannot do it alone.”
She stated that the average population of juvenile offenders in the institution is 377, adding that the NPS on its own was unable to cater for such a large number.
“However, on the average we usually have between 400 and 430 students, depending on how they come in and go out. Like we said, the purpose is for reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration into the society. So, that is why the number has dropped at this time.
‘’The main reason why they are here is to ensure that they change their behaviour and character and that is why our motto is ‘’Be the Change,’’ she said.
She explained that to achieve this, the NPS was running two programmes, one vocational, the other academic.
‘’Our focus also is to equip these young ones with the necessary knowledge and skills to be able to live comfortable lives when reintegrated into the society.
‘’Under the vocational programme we have: tailoring/dress-making, brick-laying/masonry, construction, electrical installation work, welding and Fabrication. Others include carpentry and joinery, photography/video coverage, plumbing/pipe-fitting, painting/sign-writing and air-conditioning/refrigeration.
‘’Suffice it to say that some of these programs are not meeting up to expectation because of the lack of adequate equipment, facilities and dilapidated infrastructure. However, some of them are functional,” she said.
She also said that the academic programmes consist of both science and social science courses, adding that the institution also participate in the JSSCE, SSCE, JAMB and NECO examinations.
‘’All of these exams are written in normal school certain ýhere in this institution. We can start doing the production of block. Majority came in through their parents, some from courts. We have the ones who are beyond the bustal age it is a problem. If those ones are well-skilled and schooled they will contribute to the development of the country. The major challenge is to have modern and adequate equipment to train the children. The response to help has been poor. We are making plans to reach the governor of Kaduna State, for help. My appeal is for all to come and help update this place for proper and effective performance. We can also use many of the facilities to generate funds.
“We do not have professional teachers to train these children.”
One of the hardworking students there by name Jubril Suliman a native of Nassarawa State told our correspondent that he was into hard drugs before he was brought into the facility.
Going through the reformation process, the promising boy said: “I am in the tailoring workshop. The challenges are many we need materials for practical. We need the support of well meaning Nigerians to improve on our skills while in this place. I have really learnt a lot here. I have been here for twenty months now that is one year and eight months.
“I was brought in here for drug addiction, I was a drug addict. But now I have stayed away from hard drugs now for 20 months and I am feeling fine and more focused ready for the future. I do not think I can go back to drugs. My advice for those taking hard drug out there is that you cannot compromise and say you will only take one and that is all you will later find yourself taking all the hard drugs available on earth and that is bad. It will lead you nowhere. Those were my mistakes.
“My plans for the future are to still work and learn more on this fashion designing work and I have aspiration for music and I hope to work on it alongside the fashion work. My parents visit me and my uncle too quite often.”