Cleric and prison affairs analyst Bishop Kayode Williams has called for comprehensive reforms in Nigeria’s correctional system, urging authorities to upgrade correctional centres and ensure that the rights and welfare of inmates ar adequately protected.
Williams made the call during an interview on Channels Television, on Thursday, 4 June, 2026, while discussing the state of correctional facilities in the country and the need to align them with global best practices.
Drawing from his personal experience as a former inmate, the cleric said he possesses firsthand knowledge of the realities within the nation’s correctional institutions, making him well-positioned to speak on the challenges facing the system.
“I was sentenced too. I was in the prison for 10 years for an armed robbery case. So I know the nitty-gritty of everything going on in the correctional institute and that is why I’m saying there can be a model. We have to change. We are alrwsy now on correctional institute, but are we following it up with advanced countries?” he said.
The bishop argued that Nigeria’s transition from a prison system to a correctional service must go beyond a change in nomenclature. According to him, meaningful reforms should include modern rehabilitation programmes, improved infrastructure, educational opportunities, vocational training and stronger protections for inmates’ rights.
Williams maintained that correctional facilities should be designed to reform offenders and prepare them for successful reintegration into society rather than serving solely as places of punishment. He noted that many developed countries have adopted correctional models that focus on rehabilitation, personal development and reducing repeat offences……See More
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