Correctional Centre Decongestion: 30 Inmates Profiled for Parole in Edo

As part of ongoing efforts to decongest correctional facilities in Edo State, no fewer than 30 inmates have been profiled for possible parole, according to the Edo State Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service.

The Controller of Corrections in Edo, Mr. Sunday Oyakhire, made this known on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ roundtable on Non-Custodial Measures (NCM) held in Benin City. The event was organized by the Prisons Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA).

Represented by Ikpea Jonathan, Deputy Controller of Corrections in charge of Non-Custodial Services, Oyakhire said the service had conducted sensitization sessions across two correctional centres in the state, educating inmates on the benefits and requirements of parole as a path to rehabilitation and reintegration.

“On June 13, we carried out a sensitization exercise in both custodial centres in Edo State. There is high hope, as we have already profiled about 33 inmates for parole consideration,” he said.

Parole is a conditional release granted to inmates serving indeterminate or unexpired sentences, allowing them to serve the remainder of their sentence under supervision within the community.

Speaking at the event, the President of PRAWA, Associate Professor Uju Agomoh of Christland University, Abeokuta, emphasized the importance of promoting non-custodial measures as effective alternatives to imprisonment. She noted that options such as community service and probation not only aid rehabilitation but also reduce the economic burden on the government.

“These measures offer a win-win solution—for the government through cost savings, and for society through reduced recidivism and better reintegration outcomes,” she said.

Also speaking, the Chief Judge of Edo State, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, represented by Justice Efe Ikponmwonba, commended the initiative and expressed hope that strong inter-agency collaboration would lead to better implementation of legal frameworks to ease overcrowding in correctional facilities.

He pledged the judiciary’s continued support in ensuring that non-custodial measures are properly enforced in line with existing laws.