No fewer than 21 inmates serving their various jail terms at the Jos Correctional Center are currently participating in the ongoing 2022 November/December Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).
ASC Geofrey Longdiem, the Public Relations Officer of the Plateau Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Jos.
According to Longdiem, the 21 inmates, who are sitting for the examination, organised by National Examination Council (NECO) within the correctional facility, consist of 15 males and six females.
He explained that the move was part of the mandate of the Service geared toward making the prisoners useful to themselves, families and society after serving their jail terms.
“This is part of our mandate to boost the reformation process of inmates so they can be useful to themselves and the society after serving their jail terms.
”It is in line with our mandate of rehabilitation, reformation and reintegration of inmates back to the society through various means and vocations.
“As the saying goes, ‘knowledge is power’, the essence of having a school within the prison yard is to reform the inmates with skills and provide them with formal education as well,” he said.
Longdiem thanked individuals, NGOs, religious bodies and government agencies that provided the funds used to register the inmates for the examination.
NAN reports that the examination which began on Nov. 23 would end on Dec. 21.