Alltimepost.com Sincerity of Purpose
By Idahosa Musa
Benin City, Nigeria – The Comptroller of the Nigeria Correctional Service in Edo State, Mr. Sunday Oyakhire, has disclosed that over 30 Inmates in the State have been penciled down and profiled for parole.
Oyakhire who disclose during a roundtable stakeholders meeting in Non-custodial Measure (NCM), organised by the Prisons Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA) on Tuesday in Benin, explained that the exercise was part of efforts to decongest Correctional facilities in the State.
The Controller, represented by Ikpea Jonathan, Deputy Controller of Corrections in charge of Non-Custodial, Edo State, said they have visited two of their centres where they sensitized the inmates on the need to embrace parole.
“It is a timely event. We have been trying to see what we can do before now for the inmates. It is going to benefit the inmates more.
“Just like we are going about it, I think on the 13th of June, we had a sensitisation with our inmates on parole, Edo State here, we went to the two custodial centres.
“There is a high hope because as it is now, we have profiled almost about 33 inmates to be handled under parole.
“The community service has been going on before, restorative justice, we have been doing
“So parole is the next stage we are going and this meeting is another roundtable meeting which PRAWA has brought to us”, Oyakhire said.
Speaking on the benefits of the non-custodial measures in the Nigerian justice system, the president, Prisons Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA), Uju Agomoh, said the purpose is to highlight the advantages of alternatives to imprisonment.
Agomoh who is an Associate Professor of Criminology, said its key benefits include reducing government costs (food, medical, facility expenses), decreased negative impacts of incarceration on inmates and families, and improved societal safety through community supervision.
He added that Non-Custodial options like community service and probation offer rehabilitation and cost savings, creating a “win-win” situation for the government and the society.
The Chief Judge of Edo State, Justice Daniel Iyobosa Okungbowa, represented by Justice Efe Ikonmwonba, expressed hope for an inter-agency collaboration to reduce Correction Centres congestion by properly implementing laws.
He commended the organizers of the program, offering court support.
He said the overall goal is to alleviate overcrowding through legal implementation.
