The inmates at Umuahia Custodial Center in southern Nigeria will take part in a football match
on Christmas Day in celebration of inclusivity and compassion.
The now annual game, inaugurated in December 2023, sees members of the center compete to win the “Compassion Cup” along with prizes including Best Behaved Fans and Best Behaved
Teams.
For the finalists, the day marks the culmination of a tournament that started out with 16 teams
before a series of knockout matches whittled it down to the final two.
This year’s final will see the GCC Stars – named after the Global Compassion Coalition, a partner in the running of the tournament – go up against the Alabama All Stars.
The football match is part of a major shift in Nigeria’s justice system being championed by the Nigeria Compassion Connectors.
They want to see a move away from the use of custodial centers and prisons as places of
punishment to ones of education, training, and self-growth. They point to evidence which shows
these kinds of approaches have significantly better outcomes when it comes to reducing reoffending rates and promoting reintegration.
Uwalaka Uchechukwu, Coordinator of the Nigeria Compassion Connectors, said:
“As a society, we have a choice. Do we want our inmates to leave prison feeling angry, bitter,
and isolated? Or do we want them to identify strongly with their communities and have skills
they can use to contribute? It shouldn’t be a difficult choice and yet for decades we and other
countries have somehow opted for the former – punishing and alienating their prisoners rather
than seeking, where possible, to bring them back into the folds of society.
“Our mission at the Compassion Connectors Nigeria is to change this. Through our Compassion
Champions training and education program and initiatives like the Compassion Cup we’re
showing our inmates the values of teamwork and solidarity and demonstrating to them that they
do have valuable skills and experiences that they can use to help others. Our hope is that
Umuahia is just the beginning – that we will soon be seeing centres across Nigeria adopt our
approach to rehabilitation.”
Matt Hawkins, Chief Operating Officer at the Global Compassion Coalition, said:
“We are so pleased to support this fantastic initiative. If we want to live in a more compassionate
world, we have to be prepared to take compassion where it is difficult and where it is most
needed. That is exactly what Uwalaka and his team are doing – showing compassion tothat society has often looked to punish and reject. Compassion Connectors Nigeria are showing
there is another way – one that’s better for prisoners, better for prisons, and better for society.”
