- Private prisons should be established to supplement public prisons. Any investor who can build a secure and humane facility to house prisoners should be permitted to run one.

- Prisoners should be permitted to apply to be moved to such prisons where, if accepted, they will 'pay' for the better housing conditions by working a predetermined job within the premises of the private prison.

- Prisoners who are dissatisfied with a particular private prison should be able to apply to be transferred a different private prison or be returned immediately to the public prison system.

The government must not pay the private prisons any money for their service, to prevent corruption.

- The private prison operators, in turn, shouldn't be required pay the prisoners any wages for their work: this will be an arbitrary barrier to entry that will slow down the programme and harm the prisoners' rehabilitation.

- In addition to providing better living conditions, the private prisons should be free to compensate inmates who are especially hardworking. They will receive the money when they are living prison to start a new life.

Such a system will enable the economy to tap from the talents of those otherwise hardworking people who are languishing in prison, instead of them being liabilities to taxpayers. Since prisoners are not forced to work - they are free to return to government prisons - it won't amount to slave labor. When they are finally released, they would have lots of valuable work experience which will help them to build crime-free lives.

I'd love to hear the comments and critiques of Nairaland members. Thanks!

I like the idea, but it would be more of an industry stuff, coz like, how many kinda jobs can you, the enterprenuer engage prisoners in, thats the starting point.

example:
maybe something like: Commercial Laundry within the premises, something that wont bring them into interaction with civilians, but it will be nice anyway, but how about food? how do they feed? Do the private prisons give them food?

Suggestion: something like you work for like 10years to have like 4years cut out of your sentence(thats for those that have to do more than 10yrs ofcourse) kinda, the number of years of work done in a private prison will reduce a certain %of years in one's sentence, that could be a motivation.

The problem I have with this idea is that having prisoners do work would reduce the value of work for non-prisoners. In short, law-abiding citizens would suffer under lower wages because the prisoners are willing to do work for cheaper.

Yes, like Afeni said,

There are no menial jobs in Nigeria, i mean 'Menial' that can be done by prisoners without them leaving the prison,

even the Univ grad is jobless, we are talking prisoners,

Afeni:

The problem I have with this idea is that having prisoners do work would reduce the value of work for non-prisoners. In short, law-abiding citizens would suffer under lower wages because the prisoners are willing to do work for cheaper.

erm, given that Nigeria has an un-employment problem, you are right. Otherwise the general concept is not bad.

Well, that's the problem with progress. It always 'destroys jobs'. We should ban computers too.

We could ban computers, but that would leave us at a disadvantage to those who do not ban computers. So, technological advancement is something I would call a necessary evil. Just like capitalism. The only way you could get an effective communist country is to destroy all capitalist States.

My proposal makes more employees available to aspiring entrepreneurs at a potentially lower cost, thus improving productivity and boosting the quality of life of prisoners. Mind you, some prisoners are political prisoners, some are awaiting trial, some have been framed, etc. Such minds should be put to work for the benefit of all. What we lose in terms of 'employment' we will win in terms of cheaper goods and services to sell and export.

If you are a graduate without a job, go and build your own self-funded prison. Even in the process of building the prison, a lot of people will be employed. Guards and prison managers will be employed. Employment in itself is not the aim of the economy; it is a means to an end - production. Prisoners are not animals, they are human beings too!

This is the most ridiculous thing I have heard especially you own version of it.
Taking you up on motivation 4 a private investor
Check this out.

Seun:


The government must not pay the private prisons any money for their service, to prevent corruption.

- In addition to providing better living conditions, the private prisons should be free to compensate inmates who are especially hardworking. They will receive the money when they are living prison to start a new life.

Are you suggesting that an investor should build a prison with all the security requirement and improved level of comfort as you suggested and depend on commission made form the working salary of the inmates to survive? Come on! How can this work, is this not taking imagination beyond itself.

1. no financier will give you facility for such investment prison cannot bring profit

2. A prisoner is no obliged to work; those on hard labour are to do manual work and not paying jobs. A prisoner knowing that you are profiting by his incarceration will not work

3. What type of work will prisoner get that will pay so well that the value of its commission will be enough to pay salaries of the prison staff and at what ratio is prison staff to prisoners?

Asking these questions is wasting too much time; the right poser should be WHO WILL EMPLOY A PRISONER?

Are you suggesting that an investor should build a prison with all the security requirement and improved level of comfort as you suggested and depend on commission made form the working salary of the inmates to survive?

I'm suggesting that entrepreneurs should be allowed to take advantage of this inexpensive labor.

build a prison with all the security requirement and improved level of comfort as you suggested

Security: Non-violent prisoners can be contained by a high fence surrounding the prison and a double gate.
Comfort: All you need is a dormitory in which each inmate has a mattress to himself. And foodstuff. Nigerian prisons are so horrible that it would be too easy to create something better than them.

no financier will give you facility for such investment prison cannot bring profit

Remember, there are people who are landlords already; who own buildings and are looking for what to do.

A prisoner knowing that you are profiting by his incarceration will not work

If you ever find yourself in a Nigerian prison - God forbid - you will quickly change your mind. They will work hard!

what ratio is prison staff to prisoners?

Non-violent offenders would be quite easy to handle. E.g. people jailed for their sexual preferences, for abusing the naira, or for withholding tax, or people like the doctor Fashanu jailed for political reasons too. Some prisoners would be in supervisory positions over the others, a creative businessman won't need too many employees.

What type of work will a prisoner get that will pay so well?

It's a matter of creativity. Agriculture and call center operation maybe. As long as they can work in isolation.

who will employ a prisoner?

I read a story about a 14 year old boy who is a 419er. If such a boy is arrested today, I am ready to employ him gainfully starting next week. The only problem is that this project would require very secure premises.

- Private prisons should be established to supplement public prisons.  Any investor who can build a secure and humane facility to house prisoners should be permitted to run one.

Presumably, the running of these prisons will be subject to government regulations so that if a prisoner who has been sentenced by the state is made to serve his sentence as delivered.

- Prisoners should be permitted to apply to be moved to such prisons where, if accepted, they will 'pay' for the better housing conditions by working a predetermined job within the premises of the private prison.

- Prisoners who are dissatisfied with a particular private prison should be able to apply to be transferred a different private prison or be returned immediately to the public prison system.

Why should a prisoner who has violated the laws of the state have a say in how they are punished?

[A system of rewarding prisoners for hardwork] will enable the economy to tap from the talents of those otherwise hardworking people who are languishing in prison, instead of them being liabilities to taxpayers.  Since prisoners are not forced to work - they are free to return to government prisons - it won't amount to slave labor.  When they are finally released, they would have lots of valuable work experience which will help them to build crime-free lives.

This is a good idea, but why not simply introduce it into the public prison system?

Seun:

I'm suggesting that entrepreneurs should be allowed to take advantage of this inexpensive labor.

Are you Suggesting that the entrepreneur should take the money earned by the prisoner?
Ok! You must be talking about money made form manual labour like cutting grass or non-skilled labour. Ofcourse you know that an educated inmate will not work if he will not get the money!

Security: Non-violent prisoners can be contained by a high fence surrounding the prison and a double gate.

Yes some prison are called OPEN CAMP, they have no enclosing wall whatsoever. One is in Rivers State.

Remember, there are people who are landlords already; who own buildings and are looking for what to do.
If you ever find yourself in a Nigerian prison - God forbid - you will quickly change your mind. They will work hard!

Form the practical aspect of prison design, Prison needs space a very large space at least for monitored excesses and for taking roll calls. So just building is not enough

I have been to many Nigerian prisons, not as an inmate but as a scholar and I agree with the horrible and squalid living condition therein. How that will motivate you to work hard beats me.

Non-violent offenders would be quite easy to handle. E.g. people jailed for their sexual preferences, for abusing the naira, or for withholding tax, or people like the doctor Fashanu jailed for political reasons too. Some prisoners would be in supervisory positions over the others, a creative businessman won't need too many employees.

Again Theory at play. If you check well you will notice that sentence for this kind of people are usually very mild say one to three months. How can an entrepreneur make money from people who are leaving before even getting acclimatized?

It's a matter of creativity. Agriculture and call center operation maybe. As long as they can work in isolation.

People who are sentenced to isolation are those on death penalty, taking a traffic offender to work in isolation is redefining punishment for minor offences. In fact prison camp are mainly agricultural based and are for people who are at the twilight of their sentence.

I read a story about a 14 year old boy who is a 419er. If such a boy is arrested today, I am ready to employ him gainfully starting next week.

The 14 year old boy you are ready to employ will not be sent to prison. He will be sent to a Borstal Institution for boys, (one is Kaduna) a place of incarceration for boys under 18 where the are expected to continue with their education.


Taking a clue form you first post it may be possible to have private entrepreneurs managing some of the existing prisons under PPP. I believe that even at the same cost private concern will perform many times better that government but this will be under a very strict regulation.

Good idea if it can be strictly monitored to prevent slave labor. It's not enough to say that a prisoner who is dissatisfied can return to the public system, because prisoners could be worked to death in exchange for a better living condition.

I was going to say "**** all of you" then Idekeson intervened. Thanks. I'll come back to answer the questions.

Make una talk about people when dey outside prison first .


What do u mean by private prisons hey nigeria never develop reach for that one make we talk another thing

I guess if Seun becomes the governor of Ogun state his priority would be the prison service. very funny. when the free, tax-paying and law abiding citizens are yet to get the basic things of life. That's the problem with the leaders we have been unfortunate to have and have had. They are visionless and also have misplaced priorities. The other day, the former minister of transport, Madueke of 3rd term, told us that the solution to our transportation problem in Nigeria is for everyone to own a bicycle . Imagine in this jet-age. The clown actually started by riding a bicycle to his office in Aso Rock as a way of leading by example. Nobody told him to jettison the idea after he fell off the bicycle on 2 or so occasion.
Seun, I can bet my 13th month salary that a lot of nigerians will commit crimes just to a room in any privately built prisons and also get a job at the same time.

My brother, make we no dey deceive ourselves.

Rottweiler:

The other day, the former minister of transport, Madueke of 3rd term, told us that the solution to our transportation problem in Nigeria is for everyone to own a bicycle . Imagine in this jet-age. The clown actually started by riding a bicycle to his office in Aso Rock as a way of leading by example. Nobody told him to jettison the idea after he fell off the bicycle on 2 or so occasion.

I remember that one. Ojo and his bicycle

Owning a bicycle is an excellent idea. Bicycles would improve the health of the people and they can be locally made. I wonder why you guys are mocking the ideas. . . . . maybe you prefer that we flood our market with western cars, instead of making use of vehicles that are locally produced and will provide jobs for the people of Nigeria.

Afeni:

Owning a bicycle is an excellent idea. Bicycles would improve the health of the people and they can be locally made. I wonder why you guys are mocking the ideas. . . . .

Pardon my digression from the prison topic but. . . . .

considering the fact that most Nigerian drivers do not understand the concept of "sharing the road" and that bicycle lanes do not exist, that idea is rather dangerous. Motorbike drivers/riders can attest to that. I would rather Ojo spent his time focusing on NRC. That way you can get the 18-wheelers off the roads and "reduce" traffic on the major highways. It does not make sense to leave one transportation system moribound and apply more pressure on the functioning ones.

Afeni:

Owning a bicycle is an excellent idea. Bicycles would improve the health of the people and they can be locally made. I wonder why you guys are mocking the ideas. . . . . maybe you prefer that we flood our market with western cars, instead of making use of vehicles that are locally produced and will provide jobs for the people of Nigeria.

What are you talking about? Re-appraised your statement. For health sake, imagine thousands of people living in Lagos riding their bicycles from Iyana Ipaja to Victoria Island and back everyday. They would use the whole working hours to recover from the exercise
Let's get real.

I am being real. Those that work too far away can continue use public transport or whatever they are currently using. However, riding a bike for 30 minutes to get to work is not a lot to ask.

I am no ashamed to say I consider the plight of those in Nigerian prisons very important. And if there's a way to make them economical assets instead of liabilities while also solving their human righs violations, that's worth pursuing.

Seun, do you feel for the plight of all the prisoners, or only those that have been wrongfully accused?

I can understand feeling bad about the well-being of the innocent, but I feel nothing for those that intentionally commit crimes. They ruin the countries image and hurt the economy.

ALl of them, including those awaiting trial, but excluding those guilty of violent crimes like rape or murder.

Rottweiler:

I guess if Seun becomes the governor of Ogun state his priority would be the prison service. very funny. when the free, tax-paying and law abiding citizens are yet to get the basic things of life. That's the problem with the leaders we have been unfortunate to have and have had. They are visionless and also have misplaced priorities. The other day, the former minister of transport, Madueke of 3rd term, told us that the solution to our transportation problem in Nigeria is for everyone to own a bicycle . Imagine in this jet-age. The clown actually started by riding a bicycle to his office in Aso Rock as a way of leading by example. Nobody told him to jettison the idea after he fell off the bicycle on 2 or so occasion.
Seun, I can bet my 13th month salary that a lot of nigerians will commit crimes just to a room in any privately built prisons and also get a job at the same time.

My brother, make we no dey deceive ourselves.

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rottweiler:

What are you talking about? Re-appraised your statement. For health sake, imagine thousands of people living in Lagos riding their bicycles from Iyana Ipaja to Victoria Island and back everyday. They would use the whole working hours to recover from the exercise
Let's get real.

ROFLMAO dis is killing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!