The Director of Public Prosecution Jane Frances Abodo has emphasized the importance of plea bargaining to intimates at Paliisa government prison which she says provides an opportunity for those who commit crimes to receive quick justice amidst challenges of limited human resource and funds which affects them from holding full trials.
However, she has cautioned the inmates about making unreasonable offers as the exercise was not meant for handshakes.
Justice Abodo was speaking at the launching of the plea bargaining session at the prison by principle Judge Flavia Zeija
Justice Abodo says that her office takes plea bargaining very seriously and that, that is why her office created the Plea Bargaining Unit within the Department of General Case Work and the assignment of officers thereunder.
The DPP assured the inmates that even those who had not yet been committed to the High Court for trial could benefit from the exercise as they could be committed there and then and emphasized that petty offenders too could take part in the exercise.
Meanwhile, Justice Zeija has explained to the inmates that plea bargaining availed them the opportunity of negotiating their sentences unlike full trials but advised them to make reasonable offers.
He further informed them that plea bargaining would afford them early sentences availing them opportunities to enroll in prison programs such as school.