Utilizing prison intelligence in security boardrooms By Luka Ayedoo
Intelligence is a vital part of any security process and remains a necessary tool for effective security planning and execution.
Nations and multinational corporations rely on intelligence to provide the needed strategies to run their security architecture and do business. It’s a determining factor in the activities of national and international political, economic, and military actors.
Intelligence in the security sector is the end product of analyzed and evaluated raw information for detection, prevention, and management of security threats. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime defined intelligence as a value-added product derived from the collection, analysis, and processing of relevant information, which enables decision-makers to make better-informed decisions, targeting policy formulation.
Much attention has been given to several national intelligence organizations and some intelligence units that operate under security agencies in Nigeria but have neglected a valuable source of intelligence-prison or corrections intelligence.
Prison intelligence is one type out of the numerous forms of intelligence and complements the military and police intelligence in great measure. It is a piece of evaluated information that enhances the safekeeping of offenders and assist other law enforcement agencies for proper crime analysis and prosecution. It focuses on inmates, prison visitors, staff and criminal gangs to identify both criminal activities and threats to the good order, safety and security of the Custodial Centres (UNODC, 2015).
It’s verifiable that intelligence from Custodial Centres serves beyond the safekeeping of inmates, prevention of prison crisis and escapes; and also useful to law enforcement agencies and other prosecuting agencies for the prevention of inmates from directing crime-related activities and distortion of existing witness while in custody. It’s a by-product of raw information collected through admission board in the Custodial Centres, prison visits by friends and relations, undercover court operations and counseling sections with Inmates.
Prison/Corrections intelligence is an emerging concept in the discus of national security as a subject matter. However, the concept is as old as the prison system. Its relevance in the discus of national security has attracted the attention of a few scholars who have attempted the definition of the concept.
Intelligence in itself is a bunch of collected and evaluated information that has military, economic and political value. In this regard, prison intelligence can be defined as value-added information collected systematically from the prison system for safe custody, prevention of escape, prison crisis and the de-ordering of criminal activities in the society by prison inmates while in custody. Prison intelligence is also necessary for the prevention and distortion of heinous criminal activities organized outside the prison facilities by inmates while in custody. These activities may include plans to disorganize and threaten the existing political structure of a country, terrorism, trafficking of information and prohibited articles across national borders, gang activities, etc.
Custodial Centres are banks of national security intelligence that if fully utilized will assist security agents and policymakers in curbing certain crime and direct policymakers in the deployment of security resources effectively.
Pointedly, prison intelligence further serves the following functions:
i. Ensure that inmates comply with custodial rules throughout their regimes.
ii. Check staff from compromising the security of the Correctional facilities through the trafficking of illicit articles or conspire to cause jail brake
iii. Protect other inmates from the subjugation and maltreatment of strong and influential inmates.
iv. It provides risk analysis of each inmate which directs courts and hospital operations in the Custodial Centres.
Prison intelligence can’t be more relevant than the aforementioned but could serve other security and linked agencies in the discharge of their duties in a manner that will improve the efficacy of the existing security architecture.
Intelligence collected from custodial centres can assist the police to review cases that are under-prosecuted or improperly prosecuted. From experience, hardened criminals who commit heinous crimes are sometimes brought into the Custodial Centres charged on lesser offenses, maybe as a result of lack of adequate evidence. On the other side, persons might be committed to jail for offenses they did not commit for reasons of false witnesses or lack of information on the part of the police to drop such charges on the persons. However, intelligence from the prison can reclassify inmates on the bases of under prosecution or improper prosecution that will determine the threat of each prisoner and their gangs on society. Sharing this intelligence will assist the police and other prosecuting agencies for the proper determination of such cases.
Inmates in custody discuss a lot of criminal activities during their idle time. They use the opportunity of visits and telephone to plan criminal activities outside the Custodial Centres. Several of such activity has been uncovered by the Prison Authority and if such intelligence is shared with the relevant agencies; much crimes will be controlled.
Prisoners’ disposition is a classification of inmates according to offenses committed, gender, states of origin, location of the crime and other variables. Sharing this intelligence with policymakers and other security agencies will help in the planning and deployment of security resources, determine the flaws in the prosecution process and points out areas of emphasis for attention.
It’s therefore pertinent to integrate the Nigerian Correctional Service into the web of agencies that feeds the national intelligence pool, by providing necessary work tools that will increase the quality of intelligence from it facilities. Utilizing prison intelligence in security boardrooms will not just reduce crime, but also confirm the level of crime in the country
LUKA AYEDOO
DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT OF CORRECTIONS
NIGERIAN CORRECTIONAL SERVICE
NASARAWA STATE COMMAND
