MENTALLY DISABLED OFFENDERS????AND????NIGERIA’S CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: AN APPRAISAL

Abstract

Mental disability is a disorder in thought or mood so substantial that it impairs
judgment, behaviour, perception of reality or the ability to cope with ordinary
demands of life. This paper identified the challenges facing mentally disabled
persons in criminal prosecution in Nigeria to include lack of specialized mental
health units in the institutions that make up the criminal justice system in
Nigeria, absence of personnel who are skilled in areas of distinguishing those
who are in psychiatric crises from true violators of the law, absence of mental
health literacy, inadequate infrastructure leading to inadequate care for
inmates among others. The paper concluded that the setting up of mental
evaluation units at both the police, court and correction service will reduce the
stress of managing mentally disabled offenders before, during and after
prosecution. It then recommended that the strengthening of mental health
services within the stakeholders' domain in the Nigerian criminal justice
system, will go a long way in assisting in the prosecution of fake persons
claiming to be mentally disabled.