Ameliorating the Plight of Awaiting-trial Inmates in Ebonyi State, Nigeria Through Reasonable Bail Conditions

Abstract

Bail is a privilege granted to suspects at the discretion of a court. The court exercises this discretion to give temporary freedom to crime suspects pending the conclusion of court trial. Where the bail conditions become stringent, unattainable or out of reach for suspects, suspects overreach themselves and this defeats the moral intentions of ‘bailing’ and the law. This paper discusses how awaiting-trial inmates are the most victimized by the challenges of the criminal justice system in Ebonyi State and how easing bail conditions for awaiting-trial inmates could reduce suspects’ costs of victimization. Using qualitative and quantitative research approaches, a sample of 1498 respondents comprising 623 awaiting-trial inmates, 617 police officers, 145 prison officers and 113 court staff was drawn from Ebonyi State. Multi-stage and purposive sampling techniques were used to reach the respondents. Questionnaire and in-depth interviews were instruments for data collection. Findings confirmed that keeping suspects in prisons longer than necessary is traumatic to suspects. Key recommendations include easing of bail conditions for awaiting-trial inmates by cutting the high bail prices to match the economic capacity of Ebonyi State’s neighborhood or relaxing bail terms that could enable inmates to meet bail requirements.