Correctional Facilities and Coronavirus Endemic: Imperativeness of Rescuing Inmates in Nigeria

Abstract

The outbreak of corona virus disease (COVID-19) has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation. Many people have tested positive to the disease, others are dead with many economies shutting down. Many countries have also been placed on lock down so as to prevent the further spread of the disease. Given the vulnerability of inmates and personnel of correctional service or detention facilities to the outbreak COVID-19, there are legitimate concerns about their health and lives. Persons in correctional or detention facilities are particularly exposed considering the overcrowding and unhygienic conditions of such facilities in many countries. Notwithstanding that governments are obliged to provide good health care to their citizens including inmates in line with relevant international standards, there is the outbreak of the disease in many facilities around the world. Although, so far, no a single case of COVID-19 has been recorded in any correctional facility in Nigeria, but the emergency of the virus in some towns and cities in Nigeria calls for serious attention. In order to stem the spread of the virus to correctional facilities, the paper recommends, among others, the isolation/restriction of movement of suspected cases within the facility, banning of visits to detention facilities, decongestion of correctional facilities and setting up of disease prevention and control units in correctional or detention facilities across the country.

Keywords: Health Care, Human Rights, COVID-19, Correctional or Detention Facility, Government.