In line with the present administration’s policy thrust of ensuring a peaceful, united and safe society for all Nigerians, the Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh has advocated the use of sports based intervention programmes for the reformation, rehabilitation and integration of inmates into the society after serving their term.
The Minister made this known in Abuja while delivering a goodwill message at the Opening Ceremony of a 2-day Policy Workshop on Sports Based Intervention in Prison settings organised by the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime.
Represented by his Special Assistant, Technical, Mr. Bamiduro Olumide, Senator Owan Enoh stated that because of its ability to unify people, irrespective of their tribe, religion or ethnicity, if given its due recognition, sports can be used as an effective tool for self-transformation and rehabilitation of inmates in the country.
Research, he said has shown that *high reoffending rates are often due to the disproportionate focus of criminal justice systems on ‘punishing’ offenders instead of helping to rehabilitate them with an eye towards reintegrating them effectively into the society after inmates have served their term*
He observed that most prisons and correctional centres the world over, have various rehabilitation programmes, but that sports was yet to be seriously recognized as a powerful tool for self-transformation, rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates.
