EFFECT OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICE ON INMATE REHABILITATION IN LAGOS STATE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1. Background of the Study

A person may be forced or led by life circumstances to perform an act that is illegal. Situations such as starvation, joblessness, or even ignorance might result in a conviction and prison sentence. However, prison these days is a facility where offenders or those awaiting trial are housed. It was established and designated as such by state legislation, with the intention of guaranteeing the confinement and protection of those who have been charged, imprisoned, or found guilty of breaking state criminal laws. Consequently, the objective of prison is to punish those who break the nation's criminal laws by limiting their freedom and confining them in a facility for the purpose of corrections. According to Wikipedia (2014), a prison is a facility in which individuals are forcibly confined and denied a variety of freedoms under the authority of the state as a form of punishment. Globally, society perceives prisoners as individuals who have been entangled in the legal system, leading to their incarceration, whenever they are discussed or observed. It is crucial to note, nevertheless, that not everyone who has been found guilty and placed under house arrest is a criminal. Some people receive prison sentences because they were forced to accept sentences that were more than the fee they were ordered to pay, while others are wrongfully convicted. Furthermore, inmates in prisons need some form of rehabilitation most especially those convicted in error and circumstances of nature to make them fit in back into the society. In Nigeria, rehabilitation of ex-inmate of the Nigerian Prisons Service (Now Nigeria Correctional Services) had the cardinal objectives to successfully integrate the inmates back to the society (especially getting them employed). According to Olojede (2009), the Nigerian prisons Service has since 2003 renewed its efforts at providing After Care Services for discharged inmates. Ukueku, (2008), stated that the programme of aftercare services involve provision of tools to discharging inmates who are proficient in various fields of occupation and other vocational skills. This, it is believed would enable them to be meaningfully engaged after discharge.

Though the prisons, government and nongovernmental agencies have provided various forms of rehabilitation programmes in prison to enable educate and rehabilitate the inmates to be better persons in the society, these programmes ranges from shoe making, tailoring, carpentry, welding, adult literacy and farming. The prison officers play important role in the proper functioning of correctional institutions and directly functioning of correctional institutions and directly impacting on the behaviours of inmates through their daily contacts with them (Moon and Maxwell, 2004). According to the Federal Government of Nigeria from (1989 to date), some of the specific objectives of rehabilitation services in Nigerian prisons is to promote the provision of social welfare services for the inmates’ development of skills acquisition programmes and educational services.

On the other hand, apart from the efforts to include both ex-inmates and awaiting trial persons who had stayed for quite a lengthy period, the programme is not the same as the traditionally known “half way homes”. The "halfway homes program" is a pre-release initiative created to aid inmates' re-entry into society, while the notion of rehabilitation of ex-inmates is a post-release program that aims to successfully reintegrate released prisoners into society and if it is determined that a person at a halfway home is misbehaving, they could actually be sent back to prison. Additionally, rehabilitation centers worked to close the gap in the philosophy of punishment, lower recidivism, and create a safer community. Also, a number of schemes have been introduced to support the rehabilitation and reintegration of ex-offenders into society, thereby ensuring a labor supply for the economy. These schemes include the skill acquisition scheme, which covers tailoring, barbering/hairdressing, information technology, literacy/numeracy acquisition, vulcanizing, and agriculture; the small-scale ventures scheme, which covers the production of toilet rolls, soap, and shoes. Nevertheless, in the absence of sufficient opportunities for skill training and capacity building during their incarceration, a prisoner typically returns to society as a resolute adversary. Therefore, a survey will be conducted on the effect of correctional service on inmate rehabilitation in Lagos state.

1. 1. Statement of the Problem

Prisoner reform and rehabilitation have not been successful in Nigeria because of the country's daily rising crime rates and the hardening of criminals who, when released from prison, pose a greater threat to society than when they were first released. According to recent findings, modern prisons and correctional facilities have evolved into training grounds and schools for previously unidentified criminal groups and new crime categories. This poses a risk to the safety of the convicts and their futures outside of prison. Due to inadequate amenities that support a favorable learning environment and terrible conditions of food, bedding, health services, and toilets, the welfare of both prison authorities and inmates in Nigeria is unworthy of discussion. Because of this, the prisoners have been taking advantage of the loophole to stage rebellions and jail break-ins. This study is necessary given the above scenario. Thus, it is in the light of these that the study seeks to the effect of correctional service on inmate rehabilitation in Lagos state

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of correctional service on inmate rehabilitation in Lagos state. Specifically, the study will;

1.Find out various rehabilitation programmes available in the Nigeria Correctional Service in Lagos State.

2.Determine the level of government involvement in the rehabilitation programmes in Lagos state

3.Ascertain the level of effectiveness of the rehabilitation programme on prison inmates’ mindset and personality in Lagos State .

4.Investigate the problems facing the Correctional Service in the provision of rehabilitation programmes in Lagos State.

1.4 Research Questions

The following questions have been prepared for the study:

1. Are there rehabilitation programmes available in the Nigeria Correctional Service in Lagos State?

2. What is the level of government involvement in the rehabilitation programmes in Lagos state?

3.What is the level of effectiveness of the rehabilitation programme on prison inmates’ mindset and personality in Lagos State?

4.What are the problems facing the Correctional Service in the provision of rehabilitation programmes in Lagos State?

1.5 Significant of the Study

This study will help government and humanitarians to identify the grey arrears and find solutions to overcome such problems. Additionally, the study will be useful to the inmates as it will help immensely in the process of their rehabilitation.

Furthermore, subsequent researchers will use it as a literature review. This means that other students who may decide to conduct studies in this area will have the opportunity to use this study as available literature that can be subjected to critical review. Invariably, the result of the study contributes immensely to the body of academic knowledge with regard to the effect of correctional service on inmate rehabilitation in Lagos state.

1.6 Scope of the study

The scope of this study is boarded on effect of correctional service on inmate rehabilitation in Lagos state. Empirically, this study will find out various rehabilitation programmes available in the Nigeria Correctional Service in Lagos State, determine the level of government involvement in the rehabilitation programmes in Lagos state, ascertain the level of effectiveness of the rehabilitation programme on prison inmates’ mindset and personality in Lagos State and investigate the problems facing the Correctional Service in the provision of rehabilitation programmes in Lagos State. Geographically, the study will be delimited to prison officers in the Nigeria Correctional Service in Lagos State .

1.7 Limitation of the study

In the course of carrying out this study, the researcher experienced some constraints, which included time constraints, financial constraints, language barriers, and the attitude of the respondents. In addition, there was the element of researcher bias. Here, the researcher possessed some biases that may have been reflected in the way the data was collected, the type of people interviewed or sampled, and how the data gathered was interpreted thereafter. The potential for all this to influence the findings and conclusions could not be downplayed.

More so, the findings of this study are limited to the sample population in the study area, hence they may not be suitable for use in comparison to other schools, local governments, states, and other countries in the world.

1.8 Definition of Terms

Rehabilitation: refers to the action of restoring someone to health or normal life through training and therapy after imprisonment, addiction or illness.

Inmate: refer to anyone who has been deprived of his liberty or freedom against his wishes and is confined due to forcible restraints and captivity.

Correctional Service: these are services aimed at the reformation and rehabilitation of the offender and proper administration, management and functioning of prisons.

Prison Officers: these are correction officers who supervise inmates in prisons, remand centers and young offenders’ institutions.

Crime: an act usually deemed socially harmful or dangerous and specifically defined prohibited and punishable under criminal law.