By Correctional institutions, better known as prisons, were established for the purpose of rehabilitation of persons convicted of criminal offenses. However, for Nigerian journalist and rights activist, Citizen Agba Jalingo, these centres can be harnessed for business creation and revenue generation.
In a post shared on his Facebook page on Monday morning, the Publisher of CrossRiverWatch, an online newspaper, narrated the interesting story of Prison Blues, a jeans factory located in the Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution in the United States.
According to the journalist who was recently released from detention over terrorism charges, the Prison Blues factory began in the year 2000 and currently employs 76 incarcerated adults who operate behind a prison wall and make hundreds of dollaes as monthly take-home. In 2021, the factory reported $2 million in revenue.
Bringing the conversation home to Nigeria, he noted that Afokang Prison in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, currently houses some of the best craftsmen in the country who produce beautiful crafts such as hand-fans, ceremonial flush-brushes, among others — without any form of machinery.
Jalingo said, “And frankly speaking, these products are so beautiful and because they are hand made, they are far more durable and because they are made behind bars, they are affordable. I sold many in court during my trial and to many who visited me in prison and I am willing to continue selling.”
For the rights activist, there are possibilities for Nigerian prisons to do business within their laws, adding that the new correction law allows the authorities to commercialize prison labor and give a percentage of the proceeds to the inmates.
He further argued that money can be made from prisons, if there is an astute business model and Introduction of a few affordable machines for the inmates to work with.
“And think about this: 2million USD annual revenue from a garment factory with 76 incarcerated employees compared to another garment factory in Calabar with over 2000 employees, not generating anything into our IGR,” the journalist said.
