Prisoners Rehabilitation and Work Action,PRAWA, a non-governmental organisation, on Monday said that the witness support unit would help to decongest the prisons.

Its Acting Executive Director, Yinka Lawal, said it was an avenue through which the prisons in the could be congested, saying Enugu and FCT were the two states which PRAWA was using as pilot states for the programme.

Lawal said the witness support unit was an initiative borne out of consultation with stakeholders in relation to the gap identified in the criminal justice system, concerning the speed of criminal justice delivery in Nigeria.

According to him, so many witnesses that could not navigate correctly in the court system are assisted and of course those that are not acquitted with the proceedings of the court are also assisted to know the proceedings.

Lawal said the prison should serve the purpose for which it was established, namely to reform inmates, saying so, let the prison be for those who are convicted and expected to serve a term so that prison authorities can also focus on their mandate that is reforming the offenders to make their society a better place.

He also said they were working on data recording system that would help the prisons have proper recording system, saying there was an aspect of it that works directly with the prison to build the capacity in terms of their processes and procedure.

PRAWA established 22 years ago, promotes reforms in both the security and judiciary sector in Nigeria.