INTRODUCTION

The intention to float a foundation for Inmates Reformation was borne through the inspiration of God’s spirit and grace upon the vision bearer and founder during an excruciating experience which saw him through the fore-walls of a prison in Nigeria on remand while awaiting trial in the year 2008 to bring about this vision. The vision, which was conceived in January, 2008 couldn’t be birthed but was operational as a freelance organization since 2010 until in February, 2020 when it came into reality through the process of registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission in Abuja-Nigeria sponsored by people spirited individuals with good intentions and God fearing hearts of compassion for the indigents in our country, Nigeria with our Corporate address at Suite 90, De Avalon Plaza, Opposite KIA Motors, Utako Business District, Abuja and our branches spread across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.

 

His experience during incarceration cut across the background of people (mostly of Nigerian youths between the ages of 20-40years) of different ethnic groups who were either abandoned or forsaken by their parents, family members (Nuclear/Extended) and even the government itself, and are left to their fate and at the mercy of the Nigerian Judicial Institutes to determine their survival.

 

Experience has it that these same groups of people are either innocent of the charges labeled against them in courts of law or are just first-time offenders and therefore, remanded while awaiting their trials in courts for an overbearing period of between 8-10years without judgment or verdict. This consternation formed the brain child of the founder for the vision of emancipating and rehabilitating the down trodden whose circumstances of life has tortured them and have become prey in the hands of the judicial institute.

 

RESPONSIBILITY

The foundation is saddle with the responsibility of seeing to the quick intervention, releasing (either on bail), reforming the prison inmates then, rehabilitating and empowering the youths across the streets of Nigeria through our small and medium scale investment program before reuniting them with their families and the society for efficient contribution to nation building.

 

The foundation also keep the donor, government and its agencies including the public informed on the progress, lapses and success of this organization from time to time.

 

OUR VISION

We envision a crime free society and a world grounded in love, embodying compassion, honesty, self-responsibility and honoring of all living being.

 

To create a community where citizens and non-citizens live and transact businesses freely without fear of attack or mischief from their next neighbor which will foster harmony among one another.

 

MISSION STATEMENTS

• To create an environment where the rejected becomes the chief corner stone.
• We strive to disabuse the minds of the prison inmates from crimes and criminality thereby, distinguishing the unrepentant from the repentant and treating them fairly.
• To provide a potent platform where the justified inmates (discharged and acquitted from the law court) and other displaced youths in our society can visualize the way forward for their future.
• To reform the minds of the public and feed them with the right information/knowledge about the life and time of the entrapped youths behind the prison walls.
• To serve as a voice for the prison inmates and mediate rightly between the fore-walls and the government/general public.
• We dedicate ourselves to living mindfully to the spirit of love, unity, honesty and service to humanity.

 

 

FACTS DISCOVERED IN THE LIVES OF THE INMATES

 

During the founder’s experience in the fore-walls of the prisons, the following were revealed; that

1. Over 60% of the inmates detained in prisons custody are innocent of the charges labeled against them (even though they are not saints).
2. About 85% of the inmates in all Nigerian Prisons are Awaiting Trial Members (ATM), while the remaining 15% or so, are already convicted by the Nigerian Law courts against the assertion that all those who visited the fore-walls of prisons are already convicted (as Ex-Convicts) and cannot be useful in nation building anymore.

• Over 55% of the inmates have remain on remand warrant for an unimaginable period of 4-8years while awaiting their trials without conviction and in the circumstance where they are eventually discharged and acquitted or their cases struck out for want of evidence, the government do not in any way compensate either in cash or kind nor indicate any sign of assisting a just released inmate from the prisons after such a lengthy period of time, especially knowing that he is innocent of the alleged charges against him. This attitude of government triggers the inmates’ desire to return back to their vomits (crime and criminality).

1. About 15% of the inmates are graduates with HND, B.Sc, M.Sc or PhD. (of various discipline) and about 40% have their school certificates while the remaining 45% of the inmates are stack illiterates.
2. About 40% of the total inmates in Nigeria, most of which are aged between 20-30years are dragged into crime and criminality by their parents. Yes! In a situation where a child commits a minor domestic offence at home, instead of rebuking and chastising the child, the parents send him to the Police station and abandon him angrily to be charged to court and eventually sent to prison on account of no follow up. This same child will mingle with the notorious criminals right from the Police cell to the Prison yard and begin to learn how to commit crime in the field of Armed Robbery, House Breaking/Theft, 419 False Pretense, Bank Fraud, Internet Fraud, Advance Fee Fraud, High profile Pin Code Hacking with Computer systems, Drug Dealings, Pick Pockets, Kidnapping, Homosexuality/Lesbianism and so many of such vises only to mention but a few.
3. All the common street senses one can think of which is not thought in any University or other Institutions of the world are found and only thought in the Prison yards.

• Just as there are two sides to a coin, so are there two ways of life in Prison yards. You either become worse than you came through bad influences or decide to separate yourself for reformation and allow God reveal your purpose for life so as to come out better than you went there. The choice is obviously yours.
• There is a great stigmatization on the released inmates from the family members and loved ones, society at various levels, the working colleagues, the government as well as the citizens. This only increase the level of depression, malice and a great burning desire to continue in criminal activities at the detriment of their lives.

1. It is only in Prison yards that people show great commitment to religious activities as long as they are still in there. Except they are eventually shown love and great sense of belonging which this foundation is poised to provide.
2. Most destinies are discovered during adversity (like incarceration) only that their actualization sometimes become difficult as a result of the loses experienced during such period in life. Etc.

 

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The followings are the foundation’s aims and objectives as unanimously agreed upon by the governing body;

1. To rehabilitate the mentality of the Prison Inmates and the displaced youths in the society through the reformation of the minds by the WORD and giving their lives a meaning.
2. To provide care for the inmates who do not have anybody to visit them in prisons, then offer financial and material support to those who cannot afford good food, clothing, bail and shelter for themselves after their release from Prisons custody.
3. To erase the feeling of anxiety, loss, grief, fear, helplessness and hopelessness with long term consequences such as psychosomatic disorders, chronic depression, low self-esteem, learning disabilities and disturbed social behavior which have occupied the lives of the Prisons inmates because of the situation they found themselves.
4. To support the Federal Government of Nigeria program on prisons decongestion by reducing the incredibly growing number of Nigerian youths called Inmates in our Prison yards.
5. To identify those youths in prison yards who are actually innocent of the charges labeled against them but become victims of circumstances and have been abused emotionally, mentally, physically and psychologically with a view of rendering necessary assistance and restoring their dignity.
6. To support interesting inmates/displaced youths to acquire basic education through our various enlightenment programs for contribution to national development.
7. To re-unite broken homes and re-ignite God’s love among shattered families.
8. To organize periodic seminars aimed at bringing the love of God and human equality to the youths in prison yards and transforming their lives through Word/Gospel based teachings.
9. To feed the minds of the public rightly about the happenings behind the fore-walls of Prisons and creating an understanding of the life and various kinds of detainees in prisons custody.
10. To properly represent Nigerian youths internationally.

 

HOW TO ACHIEVE THESE OBJECTIVES

The realization of the fact that successive governments showed little or no concern to the welfare of her youths (especially those who passed through the prisons), this foundation seeks to source for fund through people spirited individuals, philanthropic organizations, foreign bodies, compassionate hearts, corporate bodies and government agencies to enable her achieve the goals and objectives outlined above for effective service delivery. The founder has also authored three different inspirational books among which is the book titled “Hidden Treasure in Prison Yards and Forces Responsible for Their Misfortunes” to bring to the public in detailed analysis the essence of this objectives and the need to enlighten them on the happenings behind the walls.

This will no doubt, enhance the achievement of our objectives and helping the concerned youths benefit from this vision as the foundation is neither a religious, ethnic group, political nor tribal organization, but for all and sundry.

 

ACTIVITIES

• To construct or acquire and maintain low cost structures across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria as Centers for Relief and Rehabilitation for discharged inmates with or without shelter as a gesture for solidarity.
• Organizing workshops, seminars and trainings especially on issues of self-esteem, self-reliance and personal security then, to resound the voice that all hope is not lost.
• Embarking on skill acquisition training, especially on confectionaries, soap production, weaving, knitting, sewing, crafts and computer appreciation/operation for all the prison inmates and the displaced youths in our society.
• Sensitizing the public on the need to identify with the prison inmates and their environmental challenges with the aim of assisting the agencies concern to fix these challenges.

 

To ensure that all Nigerian Prisons benefit from this foundation, Regional offices will be created and situated within the six geopolitical zones of the country in order to reach out to various prison yards, get to know their psychological state and also rendering necessary assistance to enable their prompt attendance in court.

 

BENEFITS TO DERIVE FROM THE FOUNDATION

The foundation remains eternally grateful to God for the sparing of life and the realization of a dream comes true in the lives of Nigerian youths in prisons through the following benefits;

• The desire/reason for returning to their vomits (crime and criminality) will be disabused since the social recycling project of this foundation will redefine their purpose in life.
• The rejected, shattered and jettisoned will be reformed and eventually be identified with the society again.
• The inmates will eventually have skills to fall back at, and be employers of labor thereby contributing to the social and capacity developments of Nigeria.
• The forsaken youth in prison custody will eventually be re-united with his family through our peace and reconciliation movement.
• The helpless but talented youths in prison yards will be opportune to return back to school for further acquisition of western knowledge to enable them contribute their quotas to the development of Nigeria.
• The proven innocent victims and the repentant inmates will be assisted to secure their bails/release.
• The reward of our economic progress and development will be properly measured since these youths in prisons will be taken care of by this organization and the compassionate public.
• Because of the hard perception these inmates have already developed as a result of scorn mistreatment, abandonment and so on, they tend to pose a serious obstacle to overall socio-economic development in our country. This is a matter of concern to our organization.
• We will drastically reduce the number of inmates in prison yards that the society has labeled hopeless/useless, since that environment seem to be the best place to get their minds/attention for reformation and impartation.
• We will ably represent the deprived behind bars and advocate for their pardon/release and also serve as a mediator between them and the public. Etc.

 

This is our course, I do not know how many of us are ready, but I am certainly one. This is borne out of the love and passion that we have for the beneficiaries and my country, Nigeria. God is happy with what we have committed ourselves to do. It is pertinent to state that we have able, passionate and God-fearing members both who has passed through the fore-walls of Prisons and know the pains these youths entrapped in there are passing through and are willing to give in their all for this service to the glory of God.

 

PRINCIPAL OFFICERS

The foundation consists of the following principal officers as its governing body for convenient and smooth running and actualization of its objectives;

1. PATRON: The Patron shall be a Nigerian and an experienced elder statesman who has a passion for the development of the youths’ potentials and the zeal to support our course for improving the lives of the deprived and rejected behind the fore-walls of prison yards. He shall play the role of a father and advice the organization accordingly.
2. PRESIDENT: The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the organization and shall perform all executive functions attached to the office of the president. He shall also be responsible for the supervision and execution of the organization’s goals, smooth running of meetings and shall countersign minutes of both general and executive meetings.
3. BOARD OF DIRECTORS: This shall consist of five (5) Directors in charge of Operations, Administration, Training/Skills Development, Welfare and Foreign Cooperation with individual functions as may be expanded in the organization’s constitution.
4. GENERAL SECRETARY: Shall liaise with the President and other officers of the organization to plan seminars, arrange and produce agenda for both Executive and General Meetings regarding to prisons visitation and also keep proceeding of all such meetings. Shall also perform all statutory and other incidental secretarial duties for the organization.
5. PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER: Shall attend to visitors at the center/office and relate favorably with the public bearing in mind, the organization’s goals and objectives. He shall also perform other duties incidental to the office.

 

Other essential workers for operational assignment shall also be engaged.

 

 

INTERVIEWS AND ADVERTORIALS

For effective publicity, the board of Directors shall delegate on quarterly basis, an officer (preferably PRO) to grant interview to the press on air via Telecasts and Broadcasts stations on the organization’s dreams, vision, aim and objectives, then, solicit for financial and moral support/donations from both privileged individuals and public organizations to enable the foundation achieve its goals and also extend our philanthropic hearts to nations across the African Continent.

 

Our fully packaged up to date worldwide website (www.saifng.org) will help in projecting our activities to the globe and also attract donors/sponsors (both internal and external) to access our activities and contribute their views with necessary support. They will identify with our objectives and collaborate with the foundation to promote the essence for establishing such a foundation.

 

Other means of advertisement are sought on daily basis in line with global warming to enable us effectively spread our tentacles across nations of the world and project the foundation as one indigenous nongovernmental organization saddle with this major responsibility amongst others.

 

ADVICE AND SUGGESTIONS TO GOVERNMENT

The inmates trapped in prison yards are actually the helpless youths who could not buy their ways out of social activities in our society and have become social wastes which like industrial wastes, can as well be recycled and be fit to contribute their own quotas to social development and nation building. More so, that these inmates are our sons and daughters who needs government’s support. It’s also been revealed that an experience at the fore-walls of the prisons has become an added advantage required for leadership jobs around the world today. Government should endeavor to support the agencies concern and volunteers for the inmates to gain dependable skills they will fall back at, when they eventually secure their release from detention since most of them have lost all their possessions to the law enforcement agencies during investigation. This will go a long way in changing their mentality about the government and their fatherland.

                                                                   

CONCLUSION

It is crystal clear that, by reforming a single Armed Robber, you would have succeeded in saving the lives of about 25 innocent citizen (4-5 homes) and properties worth millions of Naira would have been secured (ratio 1:25). In order to fulfill our vision and objectives, we must reject distractions and face our conviction because life is all about what lives on after we must have stopped living. Hence this foundation is poised to providing answers and solutions to this long-standing erroneous beliefs and mentality that nothing good can come out from an ex-prisoner because it is believed that he/she has been rooted in crime against the backdrop of their inherent ability to contribute to social stability and national growth.

 

Note that “Gold have to pass through the hottest fiery furnace in order to produce and showcase its finest”. So support SAIF to reform, rehabilitate, train and disabuse the minds of suspected or intending criminals to produce a well-meaning and better Nigerian future leaders.

 

God bless Save An Inmate Foundation and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.