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By Usman Aliyu
The Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA) has trained members of the Edo Parole Board on the effective implementation of non-custodial measures.
The two-day training, concluded on Thursday in Benin was in collaboration with the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCOS).
The capacity building was supported by the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme, funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).
Speaking at the training, John Ogundele, Programme Officer at PRAWA, said the initiative was critical in light of Nigeria’s overcrowded custodial facilities.
He said the effort was meant to decongest correctional centres and promote a more humane justice system.
“We currently have over 81,000 inmates in correctional centres nationwide, with 70 percent of them awaiting trial.
“This is largely due to the underutilisation of non-custodial sentencing options such as parole,” Ogundele said.
He said that the training was aimed at building the capacity of the parole board to implement parole efficiently in Edo.
According to him, it is also to strengthen inter-agency collaboration involving correctional services, the judiciary, the National Directorate of Employment, and civil society organisations.
Ogundele expressed optimism that increased use of non-custodial measures would improve public trust in the justice system and provide offenders with better rehabilitation opportunities.
“The goal is not just to reduce numbers in prisons but to ensure that offenders reintegrate as responsible citizens,” he added.
In her remarks, Hon. Justice A. Edodo-Eruaga (Rtd), Chairperson of the Edo State Parole Board, said the training would guide board members to administer parole with fairness and consistency.
“This shift from over-reliance on custodial sentences to thoughtful application of non-custodial measures is essential in building a more effective and humane justice system,” she said.
Also speaking, Imonitie Omokhodion, representative of RoLAC, noted that the organisation’s focus was on enhancing the effectiveness of criminal justice administration through non-custodial strategies.
“Our goal is to support a functional parole board capable of rehabilitating qualified inmates and helping them re-enter society successfully,” he said.
The Controller of Corrections, Edo Command, Sunny Oyakhire, represented by Ogbue Agiliga, assured of the service’s full support towards implementing parole.
“We are prepared to provide the necessary assistance to ensure that non-custodial measures are successfully implemented,” he affirmed.
The Lead Training Facilitator, Justice Obisike Oji (Rtd), stressed that effective implementation of parole required fairness and objectivity.
“This training is a vital step in reducing prison overcrowding, improving rehabilitation, and reducing repeat offenses.
“Parole board members must be diligent and just in their recommendations,” he said. (NAN)
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