Investigate a Survey on the Aftercare Service and Reintegration of Ex-convicts in Nigeria
CHAPTER ONE
Objective of the study
The purpose of the study is to examine the aftercare service and reintegration of ex-convicts in Nigeria, with particular reference to Akwa Ibom State specifically the objectives of the study are:
- To examine the obstacles to reintegrate ex-convicted in Akwa Ibom State.
- To ascertain the state of re-information of and rehabilitation programmes in Nigeria prisons services in Akwa Ibom State.
- To ascertain the efficacy of the aftercare service in Akwa Ibom State.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Literature Review
Available literature indicates increasing disappointment with modes of operation, the prison in Nigeria are perceived to be ill disposed to achieving any meaningful reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration of convicted offenders (Odekunly, 1981: Ahire, 1990; Fanimu 2006). The Nigerian Prison Service, which operates under the Prison Act number 9 of 1972, has reinformation, rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders as part of its fundamental objectives (NPS, 1979).
However, it has been observed that many claims of reformation and rehabilitation are made without a sufficient understanding of the concepts. According to Ahire (1990) reformation refers to measures calculated to impart moral improvement in a persons character so that he will be less-inclined to re-offend in the future: rehabilitation refers to post release efforts made to make it easier for the offender to resettle in society (Ahire, 1990). Given this conceptual clarification and inspite of the declared objective of reformation and rehabilitation, the Nigerian Prison marred with numerous problems. According to Alemika (1983), the Nigeria Prison system is a colonia creation and remains a monument to colonial experiences in the administration of criminal justice in Nigeria. Taminu (2006) argued that considering the punitive, depriving and dehumanizing state of the Nigeria prison that the declared objectives of reformation and rehabilitation can hardly be realized. The Nigeria prison have been described as human cages with no facilities for correction, reformation and vocational training.
Omoni and Ijoh (2007) suggest that prisoners should be given qualitative and vocational education for rehabilitation and reintegration. They stressed that qualitative education can go a long way to reduce the high rate of offenders and re-offenders in our prisons. They are of the view that the issues of education of prisoners has not been given the necessary attention it deserves. In response to the growing fear of crime and the call for punitive measures to combat crime, policy makers have promoted the building of more prisons, enacting harsher laws and eliminating various programmes inside prisons. Sadly, this biased approach, unfounded as it is, continuing to cost us all in prison reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration, thereby leading to upsurge in crime and recidivism (Chukwumerijie 2008).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The Research Design
Descriptive design was considered suitable for the study because it allows for an in-depth description of the activities, nature and social phenomena of the prison system, its aftercare unit the state of ex-convicts as it release in its social environment, specifically in Akwa Ibom State in particularly and Nigeria in general. In addition the research adopted the qualitative method because use of its flexibility. Objectivity and suitability for handling social phenomena as in the case of social reintegration of ex-convicts in Akwa Ibom State. The researcher adopted quantitative research method in the study. The reasons why the researcher also adopted the quantitative method is because it permits the use of standard data collection techniques. While it require the analysis of such data will appropriate statistical procedures which are independent of the value judgment of the researcher. It helped the researcher to test the hypothesis and show the relationship between the variables.
Population of the Study
The study population consists of staff of the aftercare units of the Nigeria Prison Services, the Non-governmental organization (NGOs) that partner with the prison’s aftercare units, the community of labours that the aftercare staff are supposed to collaborate with, the employers of labour that the aftercare staff are also supposed to collaborate with and family the ex-convicts, who are supposed to the ultimate beneficiary of the aftercare reintegration programme in Akwa Ibom State. The population of study were selected firstly, because they have knowledge of the phenomenon being studied and secondly, because they are important stakeholders in the reintegration policy of the Nigerian Prison service. As earlier stated the aftercare unit of the Nigerian prison services is a departmental coordinated framework of action that are in close collaboration with non-governmental organization (NGO) communities leaders and employers of labour in their correctional administration.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSIONS
Data Presentation
This chapter presentation and discus data obtained by the researcher in the course of fieldwork. Data on the socio-demographic characteristic of the respondents are presented and analysed by the use of tables and percentages. The research questions were answered by the used of percentages while the research hypotheses are tested using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC).
Analysis of the Research Questions
Research Question 1
What are the obstacles to the reintegration of ex-convicts in Akwa Ibom State?
Fourteen aftercare prison staff were interviewed by the researcher. Twelve out of the fourteen staff which constitutes 85% of the respondents viewed that there a lot of obstacles to the reintegration of ex-convicts in Akwa Ibom State. They said that ex-convicts are denying access to jobs in the public and private sector as a result of their criminal records. 71% of the respondents said that most of the ex-convicts do not have accommodation after being released from the prison. They applied that their relative often do not want to associate with them anymore. This always lead them to rejoicing their criminal peels where they enjoy a sense of belonging. 71% of the respondents said that due to the homelessness and transient life of ex-convict, it is always difficult for aftercare provides to locate them where the need arises.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary
This study was designed to examine prisons reforms and aftercare service in Akwa Ibom State. A survey research design was adopted for the study. The data for the research was generated basically through the instrumentality of structured type of questionnaire and interviews. Six research questions were posed and two hypotheses formulated for the study.
From the available data, the two hypotheses formulated were tested using the Pearson Product moment correlation statistics (PPMC) Research question were answered using qualitative analysis. Findings from this research revealed that prison system in Akwa Ibom State is suffering from lacks of sufficient human and financial researches, shortage of professional staff. Non existence or deterioration in the society of treatment programmes and facilities. Lack of pre-release programmes for offenders in the prison, inadequate aftercare services implementation and unsustainable activities. All the prison in Akwa Ibom State experience difficulties in providing or upgrading their aftercare agencies equipment and facilities because of lack of funds. The findings also should that there is glaring lack of collaboration between the aftercare service agency of the Nigeria prison with their acclaimed stakeholders in the reintegration project.
The study showed that most of the existing research on prisoner, lives after release focus on recidivism and ignores the reality that recidivism is directly affected by post-prison reintegration and adjustment. Which in turn, depends on the following factors; personal and situational characteristics including the individual’s social environment of peers, family, community, and state policies. Moreover individual transition from prison to community are best understood by taking into account an individuals circumstances before incarceration, during incarceration and after release-both immediate experience and long-term situational circumstances.
The research has shown that the individual’s social environment during this transition is an important as his or her readiness of change. The social environment includes acceptance or rejection by family, friends and neighbours, the ease or difficulty encouraged in establishing a conventional lifestyle including shelter. Clothing, work and transportation and an individual’s ability to manage other potential obstacles, such as unresolved substance abuse, physical and mental health problems and financial obligation. Moreover, an individual’s successful transition into roles such as those of husband parent, respected employee and law-abiding citizen may be imparted even for those committed to change. A public stigma is often attached to the ex-convict status through employment, political legal or housing restrictions. These with the accumulated life circumstances of former prisoners e.g lack of education work skills and impact of prison experience may after the reintegration process.
The study further indicate that prisons are not well suited for the social reintegration of offenders who might be isolated from society for long periods in a closed environment. Whose they will be susceptible to all the harmful dissocializing effects of imprisonment. It is based on this that the researcher adopted the George Mead’s restorative justice model and Robert Merton theory of social structure and Anomie were both adopted as the study’s theoretical framework. The theory advocates the deinstitutionalization of criminal sentences. If offenders are imprisoned then the must be to ensure that the adverse effects of prison are minimized and support provided to prisons to live law-abiding lives upon release.
Lastly, the outcome of the findings has shown that offending to a great extent is linked to social disadvantages. It has been shown that on the average and relative to the general population, prisoner are confronted with an existence range of social challenges, poverty poor education, unemployment and poor physical health, accompanies alcohol, drug and mental health issues, intellectual disability and poor social and communication skills. These may place an individual at a high risk of re-arrest and re-imprisonment. Personal barriers to integration such as intellectual disabilities, mental illness, poor life skills, feed into more systemic obstacles such as poor education, unemployment and debt. Social disadvantages can be further exacerbated by the prison experience. Prisoners trend to posses low level of work place skill and education, an the addition of custodial term to an ex-offender’s personal history further diminishes employability. Similarity stable accommodation can become hard to obtain because on release exprisoners do not have the financial means to secure private housing or may be ineligible for public housing without stuffiest material and social support upon release. The cycle of release and re-arrest can become interestingly difficult to break. This is especially true for prisoners who were probably not subject to any formal post release supervision.
The study has shown that addressing anti-social and criminal behaviour while on offender is in prison with known to be effective programmes, can help minimize re-offending upon community on re-entry. The best outcomes for returning prisoners may arise when factors predisposing a person to criminal activity (criminagnic need) are addressed and when physical and social needs are appropriately supported, both in prison and post-release via effective aftercare services. At the post practical level, effective aftercare can only be delivered if adequate human and financial resources are committed to it and its associated services and programmes.
Conclusion
Since prison were built society has been confronted with the implications of that moment when a person sentence is completed and the prisoner’s return home, questions have been raised, like what social are to be pursued following the person’s return home, and who is responsible for them”. Generations of philosophers policy makers, legal scholars, practitioners, correction administrators, criminologists and members of the general public have wrestled with these fundamental questions.
It is the researcher’s opinion that much of the research focus on the programmes of offered in prisons not prison itself as a social institution and a transforming experience. A comprehensive research agenda would link the understanding of prison life with the life course of those who have the prison. As earlier opined, little research exits on the period following imprisonment in Nigeria, yet the re-entry experience is about more than state supervision. Moving from prison, an institution of total control, to the often chaotic environment of modern life is a powerful transition poorly understood by the research community. Society has placed many legal barriers and other obstacles on the road to reintegration. The prison’s past life adds more, the prison experience imposes its own set of challenges and opportunities. The challenges posed by the new realities of imprisonment and re-entry in Nigeria are compelling to warrant urgent call for a sustained research investment.
Prisoner re-entry in Nigeria, raises important questions about the ultimate objectives of the re-entry process, public safety remains an essential yara’ stick renewed affection to prisoner re-entry, through an expansive and well funded aftercare’s service, with programmes implemented, has the potential to improve the safety the communities and families most affected by the return of prisoners.
This broader view of prison re-entry through aftercare service guests that the ultimate goal is perhaps best conceptualized as social reintegration not just as refection in recidivism. This view also envisioned a new partnership of public and private entries that have an interest in improving those outcomes, not only of concern for the former prisoners but out concern for these where well-being is affected to the community. This broad focus should lend new richness to the contemporary debacles over those age old questions of the purpose of the criminal law and the goal of sentencing.
One of the principal complications for which communities must prepare is that significant number of ex-offenders will rejoin their communities without the safety not of minimal supervision or support mechanisms to aid to their reintegration. Most of the prisoners in Nigeria are released simply without any form of oversight after having completed their sentences fully. Instead the ex-prisoner will be left on their own to navigate their release and reintegration into the very communities in which they first found themselves enmeshed to the criminal justice-system.
Recommendations
Government should encourage the setting up of an agency like discharged prisoners cooperative association. This body could help in providing job to discharged offenders. The government should first and for most give construction projects, to this body while encourage other private bodies to do the same. The aftercare unit of the prison should closely supervise counsel supervise and their family members and also maintain contact with employers of labour. The should encourage the involvement of community resources and NGOs to provides services to offenders while putting up an effective monitoring system on the performance of the ex-convicts and the NGOs in order to asses the quality of their services.
There is need to after the in-prison environment. These are two primary ways to alter the experience so as to better address re-entry issue. The first must tried and debated, is to provide a greater number of high-quality in prison treatment, work and education program. The second, new and invocative is to fundamental in change the culture and activities in prison so as to teach daily living skills and values that more closely, resemble those in the free world. However, prior to implementing either of these notions, prison officials must accept that prisoner reintegration is part of their core responsibilities.
There is need for a re-evaluation and were appropriate, the abolition of collateral sanction that state automatically impose on individuals convicted of certain offences. Collateral consequences as they have been termed, include the range of social and civil restrictions that flow, sometimes without prior warning from a criminal conviction. Among the clattered consequences that affect social integration are a suspension or loss of voting right, the loss of the right to run for or hold office rejection from jury, duty the prohibition against obtaining certain professional licenses.
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