ABSTRACT
The central thrust of this research
is to assess the Rehabilitation programmes of Nigeriaprison using Imo prison. Prison have
always been considered as rehabilitative and reformatory centre, However, in
reality as a result of a number of factors this may not be completely
successful as expected. It may become a breeding ground for criminals. This is
the problem facingevery society and
Nigeria prison are not insulated from this problem. Against this backdrop thisstudy attempts to empirically assess the
rehabilitation in Nigeria prison with Imo (Medium security Prison ) as a case
study. To achieve this sample size, of 20 prison officials and 80 inmates were
selected through simple random sampling by the use of prison register.
Qualitative and quantitative data were collected through the use of
questionnaire and interview method. Also the analysis of data was through the
combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis. This result of the data
analysis showed that the respondents
varied in socio-demographic characteristics such as age, sex, marital status, educational
qualification, religion offence committed etc. Further, the data showed that
many of the inmates said that there is Rehabilitatory scheme such as carpentry
work, electrical work ,shoe making etc. Through some opined that despite the
existing scheme it was only meant for convicts and only awaiting trail
inmates were excluded from t benefiting
in such schemes. The data also showed that the few among the inmateswho areconvicts said that they would be better person on release and will
enable them secure job either at formal or informal sector. Most of the inmates
considered the prison as place of rehabilitation are inadequate, Also, the
study showed that inadequate funding ,societal stigmatization, congestion,
inadequate attention from government has contributed to the hitches of
rehabilitation in Imo prison. Despite the aforementioned problems the prison
still has been able to play the role of rehabilitation at a small measure.
Finally, the study discovered that congestion of inmates, stigmatization
of convicts by the society has been a
big challenge to the institution, On the basis of the findings the study
recommended that issues of prison rehabilitation and reformation must be taken
seriously in other to achieve the set objectives of rehabilitation which the
prison was established.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the study
1.2 Statement
of the Problem
1.3 Research
Questions
1.4 Objectives
of the study
1.5 Significance
of the study
1.6 Definitions
of Terms
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1
Functions and Objectives of Nigerian Prison System
2.2
Extent of Rehabilitation In Nigerian Prisons
2.3
The Living Condition Of Inmates In Imo prison
2.4
Barriers To Rehabilitation In Nigerian Prisons
2.5 Solutions To The Problem of rehabilitation In
Nigerian Prisons
2.6
Reforms of Nigerian Prison
2.7
Review of theories
2.8
Theoretical Frame work
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCHMETHODOLOGY
3.1
Research Design
3.2
Area of Study
3.3
Population of the study
3.4
Sample size
3.5
Sampling technique
3.6
Instruments for Data Collection Procedure
3.7
Data collection procedure
3.8
Method of Data Analysis
CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATIONANDDATA ANALYSIS
4.1
Presentation of personal characteristics of respondents
4.2
Analysis of research questions
CHAPTER FIVE:
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONAND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1
Summary
5.2
Conclusion
5.3
Recommendations
REFFERENCE
APPENDIX
CHAPTERONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background tothe Study
Prison is an institution designed to securely house people who have been convicted
of crime or are on awaiting trial. These individuals known as prisoners or
inmates are kept in continuous custody on a short or long-term basis.
Individuals who commit the most heinous crime are sent to prison for more
years, the more serious the offence ,the longer the prison term imposed (Microsoft
Encarta 2008).
Also according to McCorkle and Korn
(1970)., Prison can be defined as a
physical structures in a geographical location, where a number of people living
under highly specialized condition utilize the resources and adjust to the
alternatives presented to them by a unique kind of social environment.
A
prison is seen as a total institution or a place of residence and work
where a large number of like
situated individuals are cut off from the wider society for appreciable period
of time together lead and enforce formally administered round of life.
Adelola, (1982), opined that the physical
appearance of prison is of tall wall
supplanted with barbwires an iron gates antiquated buildings separated
Prisons
from its larger community outside. These isolated structures according to him
are meant to accomplish the confinement aspect. While confinement is made to
detach the prisoners from his previous infectious groups, this new, environment
is expected to provide the prisoner with particular opportunities of rethinking,
stock taking and repentance from old ways.
Historically, this type of punishment
for crime had been determined by economic and political relationship rather than
by the public police or any Penological theory. In early English or German law,
a system of adjusting wrongs and
injuries existed. where by the offender was
able to buy off the vengeance against him and his kin by compensation,
fines, mutilation, banishment ,enslavement and death were other types of punishment for offenders, Long-term
imprisonment was virtually unknown until modern times. In ancient Greece and Rome
for example, Mamertine prison,
constructed in Rome in the 17th
century B.C, consisted of a vast network
of dungeons under the cities main sewer (Morris 1978: 475). These subterranean
laws held political dissident and criminals for periods of time in cramped, miserable
conditions. However, the practice of
confining wrong doers for long period as in form of punishment was not wide
spread until after 15th century (Microsoft Encarta, 2010).
More so, imprisonment as a form of
punishment of offenders was not known to many pre- colonial communities in
African. There were traditional institutions in Nigeria that served as prison
before British rule. For example, the ‘‘Evedo”
of Edo group and “Ogboni” of Yoruba
group houses respectively were all places for keeping those put away for
some time while other forms existed among the Fulanis and Tivs (Akeredulo Ale 1979:156)
Rehabilitation according to oxford
advanced learner’s dictionary means to help some body returned to a normal life
or therapy.
Rehabilitation penology was said to have developed at
the beginning of the 20th
century in England (Carten and Cook,1989). It was more concern with the
criminal than mere punishment. In other words, an individual sentencing was aimed
at removing the causes of his criminal behavior (Tamerbraun 19780.
Prison
goals as laid down in the Nigerian Prison training manual state that prison
service establishment, are based on the custodial and rehabilitative roles of
prison of prison institutions usually, the resettlements of discharging prisoners into purposeful, meaningful
community life is the major role and aim of the Nigerian prison. Accordingly,
prison education and vocational training programmes have been at the centre of
the process adopted by the institutions in the realization of these goals. One
hidden agenda of imprisonment has been
to punish criminals for their crime and to deter offenders from committing crime. The way prisoners
perceive the objectives of imprisonment, it is assumed will affect their
responsiveness to prison rehabilitation
programmes, especially vocational training. But up till date this continues to be the
ideal picture of Nigerian prison and other prisons world wide.
According to Awake (2005), there are four reasons why law breakers are put in prison to punish the offender.
To rehabilitate the criminal, teaching him or her to be law abiding and
productive after release , to protect the
society and prevent future crimes has been the ideal role of Nigeria prisons.
Although prison policy called for provision of
legal, religions, educational , vocational, and social welfare services,
Nigeria’s prison system as in most third world
countries is grossly inadequate.
There is no systematic classification of prisoners, so that young and the old,
and suspects for minor offences most
of whom are pretrial detainees and first time offenders incarcerated for extended
periods and eventual release upon
acquittal were inter-mixed with
dangerous and deranged criminals or
repeat offenders. This has worsened the role of
Nigeria prison to rehabilitate inmates or prisoner effectively.
However,
the extent to which Nigerian prison fulfils these roles may be doubtful in view
of the nature of the treatment of the offenders and resources available to
accomplish these roles of rehabilitating inmate in prison. Therefore, the major
concern of this study is to carry out an assessment of the rehabilitative function of Nigeria prison
to see whether Nigeria prison are accomplishing these set tasks of rehabilitation for which they were
established using the Imo Medium Security Prison to determine to what extent it
has successful in performing this function of rehabilitation and to proffer
solutions.
1.2 Statement of research problem
One begins to wonder whether the
Nigerian prison is performing these role of rehabilitation as a set objective considering the tremendous upsurge in the number of crimal activities such as:
arm robbery, burglar, economic saboteur, drug pushing ,pipe-line vandalism,
coup d’état and other dissident whose action threatens the social fabric of the
nation.
Also
over the year, the prison as rehablitatory institution has been subject of
various studies. However, very little
attention has been paid to how the system of government and other external
factors affects positively or negatively on rehabilitation in prison in Nigeria.
There is a growing concern among the Nigerian public that prisons are fast
loosing its value to the fact that it has failed to rehabilitate and reform
criminals. Studies have shown that the condition of most Nigerian prison is unfavorable
for the full realization of rehabilitation goals.
For instance, life in Nigerian prison is
so regimented to the extent that it appears that the primary purpose is
punctive. Once as put succinctly by Chiemeka B. (2005;5) is that the current state of affair of prisons can only take
criminals off the street for a while, it seems that they do little, if
any thing to deter crime in the long
term.
Some
prisoners come out of the prison and
form a clique of hoodlums and engage in criminal activities that are more
devastating and debilitating to the society. The work therefore, is designed to
bring lime or make an assessment of the rehabilitative function of Nigeria
prison in Imo. The following questions are designed to guide the study.
1.3 Research Questions
1. What
is the extent of rehabilitation in Nigeria prison service?
2. What
are the living conditions of inmates in Imo prison?
3. What
are the barriers to rehabilitation in Nigeria
prison service?
4. What
can be done to make noble prison objectives of rehabilitation in Nigeria prison
more realizable?
1.4 Objectives of the Study
The general objective
of this study is to assess the rehabilitation of prisoners (i.e inmates) in Imo
prison. To attain this objective, the following objectives were used.
i.
To assess the extent of rehabilitation
in the Nigeria prison service.
ii.
To assess the living conditions of the
prisoners with respect to accommodation, feeding, recreational facilities
e.t.c.
iii.
To find out the barriers to
rehabilitation in Nigeria prison service.
iv.
To proffer solution that could make
noble prison objectives of rehabilitation more realizable.
1.5 Significance of thestudy
Since such has not been done in
Nigeria, thus this study when carried out will elicit necessary feed stock,
which can facilitate the improvement of rehabilitation among prisons inmates in
Imo and Nigeria at large. This study will generally provide a window to a
glimpse into the factors affecting the performance of the Nigerian prisons in the rehabilitation of inmates.
This study is also significant
because if carefully carried out or done will serve as a spring board for future research in the field of rehabilitation among
prisoners.
Finally, it can also aid policy making
towards the improvement of the prisons system in Nigeria such that after
prisoners might have been released will have been acquainted with skills for
self sustainance and will go along way
to foretell and expose criminal activities in Nigeria.
1.6 Definitionof terms
In this study, efforts will be made to
provide operational definition of important concepts as below:
A. Rehabilitation:
According to Ahire . (2004:8) rehabilitation refers to post- release efforts
made to make it easier for the offender to resettle (or be resettled) in the
society. Also according to the national Development Policy of
Nigeria(1989:4) defined rehabilitation as a process whereby a disabled
person is restored to the fullest physical, mental, psychological, social, vocational
and economic usefulness of which the individual is capable. In my own view,
rehabilitation could
B. mean
to recivilize an individual who have
erred or breached a law to become a conformer to conventional rules.
C. Prison:
(1997:33) define prison as A place or building delimited and declared as such
by law of the state and created to ensure restraint and custody of individual accused
or convicted of violating the criminal
laws of the state. According to M C Corke and Korn (1971) Prison can be defined
as a physical structure in a geographical conditions utilize the resources and
adjust to the alternatives presented to them by a unique kind of social
environment. The researcher view the prison to be a building that houses people
that are been accused or convicted of crime to serve as punishment and
deference to potential offender or violators.
D. Prisoners:
Prisoners according to oxford learners dictionary, a prisoner is a person who
is kept in a conformed place known as
the prison as punishment while they are awaiting for trial. In my own
understanding a prisoner is an offender or law breaker who is kept in the
prison and undergoes some certain punishment as he awaits trail.
E. Punitive:
Punitive according to the oxford advanced learners dictionary,
F. they
are very severe measures or punishment that people find it difficult to pay
‘taxes’ which are intended as punishment.
G. Punishment:
Punishment are rough treatment or an act of punishing, inflicting or imposing
pains on an individual to deter others from committing crime.
H. Imprisonment:
Imprisonment is to put somebody in a prison or in another place from which they
cannot escape.
I. Inmates:
An inmate according to the oxford advanced learners dictionary are persons
living in instituted on such as a prison or a mental hospital.
J. Offender:
An offender is a person who commits crime or who is a violator of law.
K. Rehabilitatory institutions:
According to Ahire . (2005) Rehabilitatory
institutions are organization that have particular purpose that are
aimed at helping somebody to have a normal useful life again after they have
been very sick or in prison for a long time.