PRAWA (Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action) is a Nigerian non-governmental organization that works to promote security, justice, and development in Africa by advocating for human rights, institutional reform, and rehabilitation for prisoners, ex-prisoners, torture survivors, youth-at-risk, and their families.
Established in 1994 by Dr Uju Agomoh, an expert in Justice and Prison Reforms, Human Rights Training, Advocacy, Programme Design and Assessment, primarily to promote Security, Justice and Development in Africa, the organization with headquarters in Abuja and branch offices in Enugu, Kano and Lagos, has over the years been designing and implementing various training and capacity building projects for prison officers, police officers and other stakeholders in a bid to promote safer societies through the creation of a just, humane and effective criminal justice system.
An Associate Professor of Criminology and Security Studies, Mrs Agomoh holds degrees in Law, Criminology and Psychology, and has held other key positions in global, regional and national institutions.
She was the President of International Corrections and Prisons Association Africa – Chapter (ICPA-Africa) 2013 – 2018; Executive Committee Member (representing Sub Saharan Africa) – International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT) (2012- 2016); Council Member and the Special Rapporteur on Police, Prisons and Centers of Detention – Nigerian National Human Rights Commission (2001 – 2008); Member – Presidential Committee on Prerogative of Mercy Committee of Nigeria (2006 – 2009); Member Presidential Committee on Prison Decongestion (1999 – 2001, 2013 – 2014) and on 20th October, 2022, Mrs Agomoh was elected a member of the United Nations Sub Committee on Prevention of Torture (UN SPT), based in Geneva, Switzerland, among others.
The Founder and President (formerly Executive Director) of PRAWA believes in the importance of an effective, just, humane and accessible justice system which recognizes support and rehabilitation to offenders, victims and the community.
To this end, her organization has implemented extensive activities in the field of correctional centers and penal reforms as well as several innovative correctional centers-based and community-based programmes.
Other PRAWA’s notable institutional reforms and social development programmes include: Victim-Offender Mediation and Reconciliation Services, Basic Information Scheme (for pre-trial, trial and post-trial stages), Family Group Conferencing, Community Justice Forum, Alternatives to Imprisonment – Community Service Scheme and Human Rights Training for Law Enforcement and Corrections officers.
In 1998 PRAWA introduced the first Alternative to Violence Program in West Africa with the support of the British Council. Under the project a first batch of 66 Volunteers were trained in partnership with AVP UK.
It also introduced the Family Link Project (1998/99), Prison Link Project (Correctional Centers Link Project) (1999/2000) and several training programmes across Nigeria on International Human Rights Standards, Good Correctional Centers Practice and Prevention of Torture for criminal justice agents (including Correctional Centers, police and judicial officers) and other related stakeholders over the years. By last count, PRAWA has trained over 10,000 persons on these.
Several institutions have supported these trainings such as the British High Commission, Switzerland Embassy (Ghana), European Union through Penal Reform International, Switzerland Embassy (Nigeria), and OAK Fund/IRCT.
PRAWA which secured an observer status with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in 1998, has three major programme components namely; Security and Justice Sector Reform Programme, Social Development and Rehabilitation Programme, and Research and Documentation Programme.
It utilizes different strategies in the implementation of its programmes such as training and capacity development for health professionals, lawyers, criminal justice agents, journalists and other relevant stakeholders.
It carries out research and advocacy on issues of torture, justice, prisons and security sector reform; and performs human rights monitoring and encourages other internal and external oversight mechanisms.
Creditably, PRAWA has carried out many landmark projects while others are on the drawing board to achieve the desired objectives. In 2010, PRAWA in partnership with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), the African Correctional Services Association (ACSA), the International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA) and the Prisons/Correctional Services with the support of the Dutch Government, commenced the Prison Reforms Intervention in Africa (PRIA) Project in six African countries namely Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The main purpose of this project was to promote effective and sustainable prison reforms in Africa which is in compliance with international and regional human rights standards and good governance and to improve the human rights situation of those in prison custody.
Noticing the glaring evidences that the United Nation Standard minimum rule for the treatment of prisoners including those relating to the prison officers were not complied with in practices, PRAWA collaborated with some Human Rights Interest groups with the support of British High Commission to improve the awareness and observance, of international human rights principles and good prison practices in Nigeria under the Human Rights Training Integration, HRTI, programme.
A National Workshop on Fast Tracking the Implementation of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (The Mandela Rules), and the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-Custodial Measures for Women Offenders (The Bangkok Rules), was organized in August, 2016 at Chelsea Hotel, Abuja, by PRAWA in partnership with the then Nigerian Prisons Service, UNODC and the International Corrections and Prisons Association, ICPA.
The Workshop, funded by the European Union, EU, was attended by Senior Officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service (the then Nigerian Prisons Service), Representatives from the Ministry of Justice, the Judiciary, the Bar Association, the Media and other Stakeholders in the administration of justice.
Under its second priority list which was geared towards increasing exports and investment, opening markets, ensuring access to resources, and promoting sustainable global growth, the British Government under the auspices of British High Commission in Nigeria supported PRAWA to execute a project called ILLEGAL MIGRATION PROJECT I-MAP in Nigeria.
The purpose of the project was to increase the awareness of Nigerian youths on the effects of illegal migration and positive life planning skills.
In May 2014, PRAWA organized a Sensitisation Workshop on Anti-Human Trafficking, Illegal Migration and Violence Free Society for Secondary Schools in Kano State. It was part of a project (Prevention of Human Trafficking in Top Endemic States in Nigeria) to check the menace and empower victims of trafficking.
Determined to discharge one of its core objectives, which is the promotion of Access to Justice and the Rights of Mentally Disabled Persons, PRAWA in partnership with the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, successfully organised a two day National Workshop on Mental Health and Justice in Nigeria on the 29th and 30th of September, 2014, at Ladi Kwali Hall, Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja.
The Workshop with the theme “Strategies for Effective and Humane Management of Prisoners with Mental Health Challenges” was supported by the European Union, EU, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC.
Some of the major Stakeholders and Key Players in the Justice Delivery System including Members of the National Assembly, the Federal Ministry of Justice, Eminent Members of the Bar and Bench, the Nigeria Police, the Nigerian Prisons Service, the Media, National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons, NAPTIP, members and Officials of Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria and Medical Directors of all the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospitals in Nigeria attended the workshop.
From 2016 through to 2018, PRAWA organized and provided the technical support, to series of Human Rights Training Programmes for various Cadres of Officers of the Nigerian Police Force, held at some selected states at all the geo-political zones of the country.
The Programme under a plan titled: “2015-2020 NPF Human Rights Training Programme National Roll-Out Implementation Plan” was funded by the European Union through the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC), the Embassy of Switzerland and the German International Cooperation (GIZ).
The project was aimed to mainstream Human Rights Principles into the operations and processes of the NPF and thereby reducing the incidents of human rights violations by officers of the Nigeria Police Force.
In March 2017, PRAWA, with the support of Foreign and Commonwealth Office, organized a Media Roundtable/Capacity Building Workshop for Journalists on Prison Reform Issues at Planet One Hotels and Event Centre, along Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Maryland Lagos.
The Workshop attended by the crème de la crème of Nigerian Journalists and Crime and Judiciary Beats’ Reporters, featured Visit to Female Prison and Medium Security Prison Kirikiri, Lectures and Discussions by the Participants on International Human Rights Standards Relevant to Prisons, Overview of the Criminal Justice System in Nigeria, Media and Social Responsibilities among others.
Uju Agomoh’s dreams and her concept of establishing an Non-go-governmental organization to promote institutional reforms in formal and informal sectors for access to justice, rehabilitation and social development within the penal system, have come to fruition.
PRAWA has become a reference point for social development intervention for crime prevention in Africa and a leading source in reforms in pre-trial justice and adoption of alternative to imprisonment in Africa.
It leads in the building of a critical mass of personnel and institutions in community corrections, and is a leading resource centre for sustainable social entrepreneurship research and social development models, for both rehabilitative and crime prevention purposes targeted at youths at risk, prisoners and ex-prisoners and victims of torture.
- Ibrahim, FNGE, a veteran journalist, media consultant and a former Member of Governing Board of Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, wrote from Kano.