Jelitop Skills and Empowerment Development Association, JSEDA, has empowered inmates at the Agodi Custodial Centre in Ibadan through its Integrated Inmate Support and Reintegration Programme, I-ISRP, aimed at promoting rehabilitation and preparing inmates for life after incarceration.
The programme featured vocational skills training, football activities and an award presentation.
Speaking at the event, JSEDA representative said the initiative was designed to address challenges facing inmates, including inadequate legal representation, poor healthcare access and limited opportunities for self-reliance.
She called for partnerships with government agencies, corporate organisations, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders to sustain the initiative.
The Officer-in-Charge of the Agodi Custodial Centre, ACC Titi Kareem, said the rehabilitation of inmates required collaboration between correctional officers and external organisations.
He noted that acquiring vocational skills would give inmates opportunities to earn a living after their release and reduce the likelihood of reoffending.
“The issue of reformation and rehabilitation cannot be carried out alone by the officers. The outsiders, too, need to partner with us. Having learnt something while they are here, I believe they will make use of it outside. They will have one or two things to do to feed themselves and their families.”
Also speaking, programme representative, Toyin Peters, said the initiative had provided inmates with opportunities to acquire vocational skills, including tie-dye, bead-making, tailoring, cream production and organic soap-making.
“It’s majorly to empower the inmates and also to create an avenue for fun with the football. It’s not only football they did with this. They actually did tie and dye, they did Vaseline, they’ve done bead-making. We have tailoring, people come in to teach them.”
An inmate representative who participated in the cream-making training expressed gratitude to the organisers, saying the participants learnt the skill in two weeks. The representative appreciated JSEDA for giving them another opportunity to acquire skills and prepare for life beyond the correctional facility.
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The event also featured an award presentation, as JSEDA reaffirmed its commitment to inmate welfare, rehabilitation and successful reintegration into society.
