SWS Raises Hope of Inmates at Correctional Home, Charges Parents on Good Parenting
The Standup for Women Society (SWS) has raised the hopes of inmates at the female correctional home for a better life after their trying period.
Speaking with the inmates at the Female Correctional Home in Ondo over the weekend, the Ondo State chairperson of the organization, Alhaja Rafat Momoh, said they should see their period of captivity as God keeping them for a special reason.
In her message to the inmates, Momoh encouraged them to view their time in the facility as a phase of transformation. She advised them to take the skill acquisition programs at the correctional home seriously, refrain from attempting to escape, and maintain their faith through prayer. She said they should be more focused on learning a trade and be more prayerful, raising their hope that they will get their freedom soon so they can meet the challenges of the world and not be a liability to any member of their family.
She also charged all parents with the responsibility of proper upbringing to reduce the number of individuals ending up in correctional facilities.
Alhaja Momoh, who used the visitation to mark the end-of-year activities of the organization, said it was also to celebrate her birthday.
“I just deemed it fit to go there. Today is my day, and I thought there should be a need for Stand Up for Women Society to follow me to the Ondo Correctional Centre to visit the women there. That could give them a sense of belonging, so they know they are not on this journey alone—that we are here working with them, reminding them that this is not the end of the road,” Momoh noted.
She raised concerns about the delay in trying cases, noting that some inmates had spent over four years without trial. She also emphasized the need for enhanced skills acquisition programs at the facility.
“The government is doing well regarding skill acquisition for the inmates, but there is a need to intensify efforts to make the skill acquisition center more effective,” she urged.
Momoh also called on organizations to focus on advocating for good parenting and suggested initiatives like youth camps to instill values early. Reflecting on the condition of the correctional center, Momoh commended the facility’s cleanliness and the humane treatment provided by the staff.
“The compound is clean, the warders, the welfare officers, and all the staff have human feelings and respect for people coming there,” she expressed.
The visit included sharing meals, drugs, toiletries, singing, and dancing with the inmates, which she described as a fulfilling experience.
