THE AGONY OF REHABILITATION AND INTEGRATION OF EX-CONVICTS INTO THE NIGERIA SOCIETY

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background Of The Study

Imprisonment is a prescription, prisonization is the process of living within a confinement known as a prison. Obviously, there are basic social and cultural characteristic that are present in the prison community and other corrective institutions alike, which do not exist in the larger society (Radcliff, 1992). The prison community, with its distinct culture and way of life, epitomizes a complete design capable of changing the attitudes of individual members for good or bad depending on personal experience, social networking, action and training. The way of life in prison provides the means and ways for the adjustment process of inmates. Its culture is a dynamic one, which consists of all sorts of value reorientation and internalizations, (Obiola, 2011).

The Nigerian prison system was established in accordance with three forms of penal legislation which operate alongside each other in the country; the Penal Code and the accompanying Criminal Procedure Code Cap 81 Laws of the Federation 1990 (CPC); the Criminal Code and the accompanying Criminal Procedure Act Cap 80 Laws of the Federation 1990 (CPA) and the Sharia penal legislation in 12 northern states (which applies to only Muslim members of these states).

By its establishment philosophy, the Nigerian prison service is an institution meant to administer penal treatment to adult offenders. Its importance is in the bid to reduce crime in society. On the basis of imprisonment policy, the prison service was established to manage criminals in prison yards, with its secondary aim of providing rehabilitation and correctional facilities for those who have violated the rules and regulations of their society, Uggen (1999).

However, the extent to which this is true in practice has been a subject of controversy. Instances abound where prisons have become a training ground for criminals instead of rehabilitation homes in Nigeria, Obiola (2011). A causal observation of the population that goes in and out of the prisons in Nigeria presupposes that there are some problems in the system, hence the prisons system has not been able to live up to its expected role in Nigeria. The worry about the fact that Nigerian prisons have not lived up to expectations in terms of impacting positively on the lives and vocations of inmates has raised several questions that have not yet been completely addressed about the system's function and existence.

Against this backdrop of the existing gap arising from the questions of functionality of the prisons in Nigeria, this research articulates the problems that exist in the Nigeria prisons and the reform and reintegration processes that have been put in place by successive government for inmates and ex-convicts. The extent to which these reform agendas have been implemented and the impacts they have had on the overall prison system in Nigeria are also the interest of this study.

1.2 Statement Of The Problem

In several African nations, not only is there no rehabilitation and empowerment, several inmates go back to crime soon after their discharge from prison to terrorize society, and return to prison to worsen the financial crisis of the institution. This discourse attempts to illuminate the paths to seeking answers to these questions: What is the role of the Corrections/Prisons service in the national security and development calculus? What are the challenges faced by the Nigerian Prisons in the course of effective rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates into society? What are the causes and consequences of non reformation of inmates into the society? What are the strategies for remedying the gap of Corrections in the prisons? Hence, the challenges/questions emanated from this study.

1.3 Objectives Of The Study

The major aim of this study is to examine the state of rehabilitation and integration of ex-convicts into Nigeria's society. However, the specific goals are as follows:

1. Outline the roles of Correctional/Prisons service in the national security.

2. Identify the challenges faced by the Nigerian Prisons in the course of effective rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates into society.

3. Identify the causes and consequences of non-reformation of inmates into society.

1.4 Research Questions

This study will be guided by the questions below;

1. What is the role of Corrections/Prisons service in the national security?

2. What are the challenges faced by the Nigerian Prisons in the course of effective rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates into the society?

3. What are the causes of non reformation of inmates into the society?

4. What are the consequences of non reformation of inmates into the society?

1.5 Significance Of The Study

Nigerian society has suffered tremendously over the years, and even at the time of this study, from the ineffectiveness of the country's Corrections/Prisons service sector, as reports of reoccurring acts of prison break in the country have not stopped. Hence, this study will no doubt apprise, enlighten and even educate the Nigerian Government and even its citizens on the foreseen and untold challenges faced by the Nigerian Prisons in the course of effective rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates into society, the causes and consequences of non-rehabilitation of inmates into society. In the light of the above, the study will proffer applicable recommendations that will aid the government in managing this challenge.

This study will also be relevant to the research world, hence will add to the body of literature related to subject of this study. And it will thereby be more relevant to researchers, students and other academic personnel.

1.6 Scope Of The Study

This study on the agony of rehabilitation and integration of ex-convicts into the Nigeria society is specifically directed towards outlining the roles of Corrections/Prisons service in the national security, identifying the challenges faced by the Nigerian Prisons in the course of effective rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates into the society and identifying the causes  and consequences of  non reformation of inmates into the society. Hence the study is delimited to Imo State, Nigeria.

1.7 Limitation Of The Study

Financial constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
Time constraint: The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.

1.8 Definition Of Terms

Prison: This is a building/place in which people are legally held as a punishment for a crime they have committed or while awaiting trial.

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

Integration: This is the practice of uniting people from different races in an attempt to give people equal rights racial integration

Convict: A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison". Convicts are often also known as "prisoners" or "inmates" or by the slang term "con", while a common label for former convicts, especially those recently released from prison, is "ex-con".