An Appraisal of the Nigerian Correctional Service: The Need for Reform
Chapter One
Objectives of the Study
The objective of this study is to appraise the Nigerian correctional service and examine the need for reform. However the specific objectives are:
- To understand the different roles the Nigeria Prison Service plays in ensuring prisoners rehabilitation.
- To examine the influence of rehabilitation on prisoners.
- To investigate the various forms of rehabilitation works going on in the prison
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Conceptual Background of Prisons
The concept, prison has been a subject of debate among various scholars in the social science disciplines. The concept has been treated from various perspectives, which include structural and functional dimensions. For instance, McCorkle and Korn (1954) described a prison as a physical structure in a geographical location where a number of people living under highly specialized condition adjust to the alternatives presented to them by the unique kind of social environment. Similarly, Sykes (1958), Goffman (1961) and Okunola (1986) conceived prison as where people are highly secluded from the rest of the world with entirely new order of control. The above conceptualizations as advanced by scholars are limited towards an understanding that a prison is a physical environment, and could be described geographically or spatially. Quite different from the physical conception, there are other schools of thought that are based on function, framework and label. From the functional perspective, a prison is perceived as a place to punish offenders, where criminals that are removed from the society are dumped to protect the society from further criminal activities of the offenders; and a palace to rehabilitate, and teach offenders to be law abiding and productive after their release. Prisons are also perceived as a total institution, from the perspective of framework. Okunola (1986) and Goffman (1961) variously defined the concept in this manner. While Okunola sees a total institution as a place unlike free environment or community that houses those who are socially rejected, insane or mentally retarded, Goffman on the other hand conceptualized total institution as where there is a basic split between a large class of individuals who are restricted contact with outside world and stereotypical behavioural pattern where social mobility is restricted. Yet from the labeling point of view, the prison is a place for vagrants, who may pose actual danger to social life in the larger society, which pre-supposes that every person in the prison is a vagrant and irresponsible person. This is the position of Howard (1960) who demonstrated his view with what obtained during the ancient Greek times. Perhaps this conceptualization by Howard is rekindled in the attitudes of “Mr. Political Leaders” towards prisoners, who they regard as the “dregs” of the society. Yongo (2000) commenting on the past neglects meted to the poisons by past leaders noted, Cursory look into the past will reveal that when Gen. Obasanjo headed Nigerian government between February 1976 and September 1979, he did little to develop the prisons, as if he was unaware that some Nigerian citizens were there. May be to him, they were the dregs of the society. However, with recent developments, the general conception about the prisons seem to be changing at least in the minds of some people, especially with reference to the erroneous idea that people in the prisons are dregs of the society. The new conception, which is credited to Yongo2 perceived the prison as “home for all”. The main thrust of this idea is rooted in the pragmatic and positivist point of view, regardless of what the traditional views are. His argument is anchored on the premise that it is not only the guilty that are found in the prisons, only some prisoners actually committed offences they are alleged to have committed. This is true of the Nigerian situation where it has become “acceptable” to have most of the prison yards overflowing with awaiting trial inmate population.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitutes of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried to examine an appraisal of the Nigerian Correctional Service: The Need For Reform. Ikoyi Prison, Lagos and Kirikiri prison also in Lagos form the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of eighty (80) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which only seventy-seven (77) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 77 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain an appraisal of the Nigerian Correctional Service: The Need for Reform. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of an appraisal of the Nigerian Correctional Service: The Need for Reform
Summary
This study was on an appraisal of the Nigerian Correctional Service: The Need for Reform. Three objectives were raised which included: To understand the different roles the Nigeria Prison Service plays in ensuring prisoners rehabilitation, to examine the influence of rehabilitation on prisoners and to investigate the various forms of rehabilitation works going on in the prison. A total of 77 responses were received and validated from the enrolled participants where all respondents were drawn from Ikoyi Prison, Lagos and Kirikiri prison also in Lagos. Hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square statistical tool (SPSS).
Conclusion
This paper had given a background on prison system in Nigeria, including the problems, reform processes and the extent of their effectiveness. From what have been discussed in the paper, the problems in the prison system in Nigeria are not new, especially with regard too overcrowding and congestion, which date back to the period of colonialism. In this regard, all efforts in form of reforms to better the living standard in the prisons and reposition it to contribute to national development should be more articulate and serious. Various dehumanizing nature in the prisons and lack of rehabilitation facilities makes the system to be incapable of refining its inmates. Ideally, the prison should serve every society as a reformatory, but only when the necessary things are in place, if not, the whole process will amount to wastage of human resources. In Nigeria, because the prison system does not have the capacity to rehabilitate, it contributes very little or nothing to the development efforts in the country. It has been alluded that the Nigerian distributive justice system guidelines by default suggest imprisonment culture of dehumanizing, substandard, poor living environmental conditions to Nigerians, which presents inadequate sanitization and improper reformation, rehabilitation and correctional processes for attitude change by inmates and people in the free society (Adetula et al.2010: 1).However, if the inmates are reformed properly by subjecting them to dignifying human condition and made to be more responsive, then their contribution to the overall development in Nigeria could be felt upon their release. One may be wrong to conclude that various reform efforts have not worked any good; rather it may be more appropriate to infer that the gains of these efforts are not sustained or may not be sustainable.
Recommendation
Enough funds should be appropriated for the Correctional Service to implement the lofty provisions of the Act.
Nigeria should toe the line of the majority of countries that abolish death sentence, instead of creating unnecessary constitutional predicaments as done by the Act which has provided that Chief Judges (who did not enact the Criminal Statutes) should alter same by commuting death row inmates to life imprisonment. This, if done, would amount to judicial rascality or at best judicial legislation authorized by a body that has no powers covering the subject matter.
References
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- American Friends Service Committee (1971). Struggle for justice: A report on crime and punishment in America. New York: Hill and Wang.
- Awake Magazine (2001, May 8). Can prisoners be reformed? Columbia Height, Brooklyn: Watch tower Bible and tract Society.
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