Health professionals, including clinical psychologists, psychologists, pharmacists, and laboratory technologists, have said that poor access to mental health services and poor handling of mentally ill inmates in custodial facilities not only worsen their health but also constitute torture and abuse of such inmates.
President of the National Association of Psychologists (NAP), Professor Taiwo Obindo, observed that most correctional centres across Nigeria are in dire need of mental health professionals, such as psychiatrists, therapists, and social workers, among others, to end the cycle of torture and abuse of mentally ill inmates.
Speaking at the Independent Investigative Panel on the Alleged Corruption, Abuse of Power, Torture, Cruel, Inhumane, and Degrading Treatment against the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) in Abuja, he insisted that when mentally ill inmates are allowed to become critically ill before being taken to the hospital, it worsens their conditions and amounts to negligence on the part of correctional officers charged with their care.
He said, “Other forms of abuse that we found in the correctional centres include locking up a mentally ill inmate all day long and keeping them in isolation in the facility.
“We discourage the handcuffing and chaining of mentally ill inmates to the bed. Because they are mentally ill, someone will just come and chain them to the bed for days, leaving them to eat, urinate, and do other things on the bed. There shouldn’t be any reason for this.
“Poor health, in addition to being a prisoner, has its own impact on health during the course of imprisonment, and there is often no screening for the inmates before and after their admission into custody to know those who are ill. So, there should be regular screening for inmates in custody. We don’t have to wait until they are ill before interventions are made.”
Professor Obindo pointed out that even the dearth of caregivers for mentally ill inmates is seen as abuse and torture.
While recommending improved funding for mental health in the correctional service and increased manpower to cater to mentally ill inmates, he listed the lack of a forensic hospital in Nigeria as a major setback to mental health treatment generally, as well as the lack of funding to enable inmates to access mental health care, leading to relatives often being made to pay out of pocket and fuel correctional vehicles to hospitals.
Soliciting commitment to contribute their quota to prison reform efforts in Nigeria, Secretary of the panel and the Founder and Executive Director at the Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA), Dr. Uju Agomoh, noted that medical health practitioners such as clinical psychologists, psychologists, pharmacists, and lab technologists have very important roles to play in this regard.
She urged them to rally their members to offer pro-bono services at intervals to mentally ill inmates to bridge the shortfall of professionals and the current dearth of mental healthcare in the correctional service while the government is encouraged to scale up interventions in this regard.
She noted, “Pro-bono service in prison for mentally ill inmates can be made a condition for being a member of any of the health bodies as a show of definite commitment and support to ongoing prison reforms in Nigeria.
“The body of psychologists and clinical psychologists, for example, can offer pro-bono services to correctional hospitals across the country through their members in the state chapters.”
In her view, while the government has shown concern to unearth genuine issues regarding allegations of abuse, torture, corruption, and inhumane treatment of inmates in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service, professional bodies across all sectors need to come together to support the government for lasting reforms in the corrections sector in Nigeria.
Speaking on the need for both inmates and correctional officers to remain mentally sound, a representative of the National Association of Clinical Psychologists (NACP), Dr. Abigail Oni, explained that “It is essential to recognize the importance of not only integrating mental healthcare into the correctional system but ensuring they are properly implemented. This approach is crucial for the well-being of both inmates and correctional officers.”
Oni, who is a licensed psychologist, trauma specialist, and inner child healing therapist, said that substance abuse counseling and dual diagnosis treatment for inmates with recurring disorders are recommended.
She assured that the body of Clinical Psychologists in Nigeria will contribute their quota towards improving behavioral outcomes that reduce prison violence, enhance rehabilitation efforts, decrease repeat offenses while promoting human rights, ensure ethical treatment of inmates, and support correctional officers’ mental health, improving workplace morale for efficient service delivery.
THE GUARDIAN
