Predisposing Factors of Recidivism as Perceived by Prison Officers in Kwara State, Nigeria: Implications for Counselling Practice (original) (raw)
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Suggested Solutions to Recidivism by Prison Officers in Kwara State, Nigeria
Indonesian Journal of Guidance and Counseling: Theory and Application
Recidivism is a growing problem in the world – in Nigeria and Kwara State inclusive. Therefore, this study investigated solutions to recidivism as perceived by prison officers in Kwara State. The contributions of moderating variables of gender, religion and years in service were also investigated. Descriptive research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised all the prison officers estimated at 615 in Kwara State. Multi-stage sampling procedure was adopted to select 250 prison officers from all the five prison centers in Kwara State. A questionnaire that was designed by the researchers served as the instrument for data collection. The validity and reliability of the instrument were duly established. The data were analysed using percentages, t-test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that recidivism rate will be drastically reduced if prison rehabilitation programmes are being handled by professi...
Risk Factors of Recidivism: Lessons from Central Prison in Kumasi, Ghana
OALib, 2018
Recidivism is a major problem faced by all countries in the world and entails a tendency to relapse into a previous behavior (criminal behavior in the context of this study). Using a qualitative approach, this study examined the risk factors of recidivism in Kumasi Central Prisons. Purposive sampling method was espoused to gather data from thirty prison inmates and key informants including prison ministry evangelists, prison officers and families of ex-offenders. The study found inadequate support from family, stigma by society, lack of job opportunities, lack of income and accommodation as the most prominent risk factors of recidivism among prison inmates in the Kumasi Central Prisons despite the important roles played by Christian churches through their prison ministries. The study therefore among others recommends that prison ministry must go beyond the prison walls by eliciting the active participation of family, community and society in the physical and spiritual care for the ex-offender.
Kampala International University, Uganda, 2023
In the light of seemingly increasing recidivism rates amongst inmates, this study investigates the effectiveness of reformatory programmes in correctional institutions and the trigger factors of recidivistic tendencies amongst ex-convicts in South- South, Nigeria. The study adopts the descriptive survey design, where the purposive and snowball sampling techniques were further adopted in the administration of the research instruments to the relevant respondents for the study. It draws from Robert Agnew’s general strain theory to present an explanation of the act of recidivism amongst ex- convicts. An in-depth interview guide was adopted to serve as the research instruments for eliciting relevant information from the respondents. A total of 43 ex- convicts were utilized as respondents for the study. Findings from the study suggests that although the reformatory programmes of correctional institutions in South-South Nigeria were well designed and structured to achieve criminal reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration; however, factors such as endemic prison subculture, reintegration labelling effects, and employability redundancy of ex-convicts were significantly implicated as the primary causative factors of criminal recidivistic tendencies. Consequently, the study recommends intensive community sensitization and re-orientation via awareness campaigns to facilitate acceptability and reintegration; immediate provision of gainful employment opportunities for ex-convicts; and the adoption of non-custodial sentences as an alternative to criminal incarceration.
Recidivism at the Kumasi Central Prison: A look into Guidance and Counselling Services
Recidivism is on the increase as ex-convicts who are expected by the society to be reformed in prison and reintegrated to lead meaningful lives, only return to crime shortly after their release and find themselves back into prison in spite of the harsh punishment and counselling services received while incarcerated. The study aimed to identify the adequacy and effectiveness of the Guidance and counselling services offered prisoners in Kumasi Central Prison, Ghana. Qualitative research method was primarily used to obtain data. The investigation revealed that the major setback in the Guidance and Counselling section of the Ghana Prisons is the lack of competent and adequate professional counsellors in the prison. Further findings indicated that there are no separate offices for the counsellors, neither are there counselling rooms, thus there is no privacy during counselling sessions. Besides, the prison is over-crowded making it very difficult for counsellors to meet counselling demands of inmates. The government should resource the Prison Service to attract qualified youth to reduce the problem of recidivism.
Attitude to rehabilitative counselling in southwestern Nigerian prisons
International Journal of Prisoner Health, 2014
Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to examine the attitudes of prison inmates and warders (prison staff) to rehabilitative counselling and its relationship to their prison status on one hand and their educational attainment on the other. Design/methodology/approach – The study adopts a descriptive survey research design. In all 123 prison inmates and 110 warders were selected by stratified random sampling from Osogbo prison headquarters, as well as Ilesa and Ile-Ife prisons in southwestern Nigeria. Data were collected through a self-constructed questionnaire titled “inmate and prison staff attitude to rehabilitation counselling”. Data collected were analysed using percentages and χ2 statistics. Findings – The results showed that the prison inmates and staff possessed positive attitude to rehabilitative counselling. No significant difference was found between the attitudes of prison inmates and staff members or on the basis of their prison statuses. However, the study found a si...
The Challenges That Ex-Prisoners Face Upon Release from Prison in Akwa-Ibom State, Nigeria
This study investigate the challenges that ex-prisoners face upon release from prison in Akwa-Ibom State, Nigeria. The study combines secondary information and information from extensive fieldwork with interviews to elicit information on the problems and challenges of ex-prisoners upon release from imprisonment. A total of sixty-three (63) ex-prisoners, selected through snowball sampling method, were interviewed. Data was analyzed qualitatively and with the use of simple percentages. Results show that: (i) ex-prisoners were not effectively prepared for re-integration into the society when they were in prison custody. (ii) ex-prisoners lack the basic necessities of life upon release; and (iii) employers of labour in Akwa-Ibom State are not willing to hire ex-prisoners. Recommendations on how to achieve a proper reintegration of ex-prisoners in Akwa-Ibom state are made.
Continuous Ex-Offenders’ Reformation and Avoidance of Recidivistic Acts in Nigeria
International Journal of Criminology and Sociology, 2020
This paper arose from very serious concern emanating from the skyrocketed cases of recidivistic occurrences in Nigeria which as observed impact negatively on the Nigerian prison reformatory and rehabilitation processes vis-à-vis the security of lives and property. It is common now in Nigeria that our prison population keeps increasing without the corresponding facilities, manpower, and resources to effectively and efficiently reform inmates that after release would be better law-abiding and self-sustaining. From the study, it was revealed that ex-offenders become more hardened and daring, and prefer to habituate the prison environment to outside society. The lack and absence of training tools like mechanic workshops, tailoring shops, and more saddening the cruelty meted out on them inside the prison makes it worse; the stigmatization and outright denial of job opportunities as compared to their counterparts who are not exoffenders are offensive to them. The study recommends as follows: Government should equip all correctional facilities in Nigeria with the approved international standards that through it inmates, after release, can be meaningfully engaged and be relatively self-sustaining; The government through its agencies like National Orientation Agency, federal radio, and television in conjunction with the religious bodies, sensitize the public on the danger of stigmatizing ex-convicts because it has far-reaching consequences; With the help of social workers, there should be follow-up and an evaluative scheme that requires an ex-offender constantly be monitored to prevent reoffending; and Schools should be established in the prisons and properly funded by the government to help to functionally educate and reshape the minds of the inmates so that upon release they will be better citizens.
The objective of the study was to find out the prison inmates' perception of the effectiveness of rehabilitation programmes in the Nigerian prisons service with reference to Enugu prison. The study adopted the cross-sectional survey design. A total of one hundred and forty five (145) inmates comprised the target of the study. Questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), frequency tables and percentages (%) were employed in the data analysis. The result showed that rehabilitation programmes in the prisons have not achieved much. It was also discovered that the duration of service for the inmates does not make the inmates to be actively involved in rehabilitation programmes. Majority of the respondents agreed that lack of fund/inadequate funding was the major hindrance to the programmes. It is recommended that social workers, philanthropists should contribute in ensuring that adequate facilities are provided to enhance the effectiveness of the rehabilitation programmes.
Canadian Social Science, 2019
The agitation for rehabilitation of prison inmates in Nigeria, especially in the southwest, have been a major discourse in the purview of professionals such as administrators, academics, policy makers and actors. This has propelled governments in collaboration with Civil Society organisations and a few religious bodies to investigate and implement programmes to better the lots of inmates by providing resources and desirable environment for its sustainability. Regrettably, these contributions have yielded meagre outcomes as a result of challenges encountered during implementation. Consequent upon this, this paper investigated the challenges of rehabilitation programmes for prison inmates in Southwestern Nigeria. Primary and secondary data were utilised through administration of questionnaire and indebt interview. Secondary data were obtained from text books, documents and internet. The paper revealed that delay in court procedures on awaiting trial inmates, lack of funds for rehabilitation programmes by the prison administrators and poor inmates' welfare are major challenges to the effective implementation of rehabilitation programmes for inmates. Therefore, the study recommended that the Federal Government should provide an enabling environment for rehabilitation of inmates, as well as make more funds available for its continuous sustainability.
Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 2013
In recent times, recidivism has not only been on the increase in sub-Saharan Africa, but has become a major social problem to the society. Discharged prisoners are faced with challenges of reintegration as a result of some sociocultural factors which tend to affect efforts in that direction. Consequently, discharged prisoners often pose a threat to sustainable development because they can very easily relapse to crime when they are unable to reintegrate in the society. This paper examined the socio-cultural factors affecting the reintegration of discharged prisoners in Anambra State. The study employed qualitative research method with the population comprising adult members of the public, discharged prisoners, opinion leaders and staff of Nigeria prisons who were selected across randomly selected communities within two purposively chosen locations of Onitsha and Awka. Findings indicated that discharged prisoners are stigmatized both by societal members and existing laws. This study recommends that the government and other non-governmental agencies must step up their efforts to recondition the debasing conditions of Nigeria prison as well as review relevant laws to ensure systematic post incarceration rehabilitation and reintegration of discharged prisoners into the society, so that they can contribute to growth and sustainable development of the society.