Awuse Samuel Ndidi1 & Ferdinand F.O. Daminabo2
1 Rivers State University; Nkpolu Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt.
Rivers State,
2 Rivers State University ; Nkpolu, Oroworukwo, Port
Harcourt. Rivers State,.
E-mail; isna_dev@yahoo.com,ferdydaminabo@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
The
paper is focused on problems of prisons in Nigeria with emphasis on why inmates
are hardened and how they can be rehabilitated and reformed to integrate
inmates back to society. Present-day prisons in Nigeria are in a deplorable
state and constantly violate the rights of the prisoners. Living conditions are
appalling and damaging to the physical and mental well‐being of inmates.
Overcrowding, poor sanitation, lack of food and medication, and denial of
contact with families and friends mean that conditions fall short of the United
Nations standards for the treatment of inmates or prisoners. Overcrowding, is a
major issue with the Nigeria Prisons Service, is mainly caused by the high
number of inmates who have not been tried by the courts. Though rehabilitation
ideals are well embraced by practitioners and policymakers in Nigeria, current
efforts to reform and rehabilitate offenders are inadequate. From the findings,
overcrowding, inhumane and unsanitary conditions in the Nigeria prisons, there
is a call by Human Rights Commission to build more prisons in Nigeria, the aim
of establishing prison institution in Nigeria and across the globe is to
provide reformation and rehabilitation centers for those who violate the rules
and regulations governing their society. Findings from publication, interviews
and case study show that the less conducive prison environment the more
hardened prisoners become. In Nigeria, this appears to be the case; this paper is
geared towards providing an environment based on the new principle of rehabilitation
and reform, which emphasizes rehabilitation, reformation and integration of
offenders through academic and vocational programmes planned for the center. A
large part of the programmes effectiveness is in the character of the physical
environment within which the programme takes place, creating an architecture
that gives a sense of freedom within the correctional center while maintaining
High security, becomes the main focus of the study. This paper therefore examines possible ways
of:
reducing to the barest minimum the
negative effects of incarceration by design thus making an important
contribution to the solution of prison in the country. The design of this
correctional center in Ogbakiri, Rivers State is harness the principle of
rehabilitation and reformation of offenders through vocational and academic
training, recreation and religious activities while offenders are detained and
preventing their escape.
Keyword: Prison,
Rehabilitation, Reformation, Crime
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