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AN APPRAISAL OF INMATES’ REHABILITATION FACILITIES IN KADUNA AND ZARIA PRISONS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION:

1.1      Background of the Study

The noble goal of the prisons services is to reform those who pass through the prison gates and also to protect the society from the convicted felons. It also serves to keep in safe custody persons legally sentenced to jail and identify the cause of inherent anti social behavior and treat and reform them to become law-abiding citizens. The prison also has the responsibilities to train inmates in trades that will make them useful to themselves and the society at large. (prisons lecture manual 2003).

According to the Jarma (2001) these objectives are not being met in Nigeria, he contend that instead of reforming inmates the prisons system is hardening them and subjecting them to horrible, degrading conditions and punishment, sometimes exceeding the crime committed, the process makes them to become physicals and psychological damaged, with the feeling of been unwanted, unloved and abandoned in uncaring environment. Most studies of prison in Nigeria have been concerned with the sociological analysis of the prisons as social systems that have examined inmates (Sarki 2003, Muhammad, 2005).

Yet little attention has been given to the other factors that lead to the failure, in achieving the stated objectives i.e reforming, rehabilitation and reintegration. Such factors are inmates’ rehabilitation facilities which are almost in obsolete state and poor management in handling the available one. Inmates’ rehabilitation facilities which comprised of inmates’ accommodations, skill acquisition facilities, education facilities, recreational facilities e.t.c are inadequate or in state of disrepair. Many prisons in Nigeria have no basis utility services e.g toilet, water, light, medicine, etc and where they have are severely limited. (Asokhia M.O 2012)

Though Nigeria government budges a little amount in comparison with other countries in the world with almost the same population size but corruptions, poor management, unprofessionalism n handling the facilities are the accelerating factor to this unwanted situation. (Ogundipe 2008)

To find a solution to these problems and proposed ways of improvement in the management of inmates’ rehabilitation facilities are the question that this project will address.

1.2              Statement of the Problem

One of the cardinal’s objectives of prison system is to wear prisoners away from crime and other anti-social activities and give them direction that will enable them lead normal live again. The idea is to employ the period of incarceration to impact other offenders the need to be law-abiding (prison lecture manual 2007)

Prisons are conceived as corrective institutions. They already are or are fast becoming so in many part of the world. They are usually structure to identify the peculiar problems of each inmate and device means of guiding the individual out of problems (Muhammad .B. 2005)

Studies however reveal that Nigeria prison rather than being reformative and rehabilitative they are punitive, degrading and dehumanizing and leave the prisoners with least opportunity of re-entry in to the society (Basher Tanimu 2010). 

Finding however reveal that several factors are responsible for these undesirable situation here are some: corruption which has eaten deep into the fabrics of Nigerian, inadequate funding and bad management make many prisons to lack essential inmates’ rehabilitation facilities e.g accommodation, skill acquisition, educational and recreational facilities and were they exist they are grossly inadequate for the population, in some prisons officials complain of lack of portable water, inadequate sewage facilities which is having devastating effect on the health of inmates’(Muhammad .B. 2010).

Thus Nigeria needs conductive prisons, where function of reforming, rehabilitation and reintegration would be accomplished, not prisons that been regard as punishment ground, and it is as a result of all these aforementioned problems that this research work is being carried out.

1.3       Significance of the study

When the study is carry- out will elicit necessary feed stock, which can facilitate the improvement of rehabilitation among prisons inmates’ in Kaduna, Zaria 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 spring board for future research in the field of rehabilitation among prisoners.

Finally, it can also aid policy making towards the improvement of prison system in Nigeria such that after prisoner might have been released will have been acquainted with skill for self sustenance and will go along way to foretell and expose criminal activities in Nigeria.

1.4       Aim and Objectives

1.4.1    Aim

The aim of this study is to assess the inmates’ rehabilitation facilities in Kaduna and Zaria prisons, with a view to seeking improvements thereof.

1.4.2    Objectives

1.    To find out whether the types of inmates’ rehabilitation facilities and their services are in compliance with the international best practices.

2.   To assess the incarceration condition of the inmates’ with respect to accommodation, feeding, education, skill acquisition, medication and recreation.

3.   To determine the effectiveness of inmates’ rehabilitation facilities services.

4.                  To find out the barriers to rehabilitation in Nigerian prison service.

5.                  To find solution to the problems.

1.8              Methodology

The methods to be used in this research are administration of questionnaire and checklist. Interview will be conducted in Kaduna and Zaria prison to the both staff and inmates, physical inspection to the facilities will carry out.

The data obtain from the checklist and questionnaire will be interpreted and analyzed using descriptive statics as frequency and percentage.

1.6       Scope and limitation

This project is limited to inmates’ rehabilitation facilities in Kaduna Zaria prisons, however; this is a fair representation of assessment of inmates’ facilities situation of all prisons in the country.

1.7              Delimitation

The research is delimited by difficultly in having access to the data because of the security nature of the data.