CORRECTIONAL REFORMS AND INMATES’ REHABILITATION IN NIGERIA

This study examines the correctional reforms in terms of administrative, welfare, penal and infrastructural reforms on inmates’ rehabilitation in Nigeria. The study adopts a survey design considering the nature and the scope of the study. The population of the study is entire correctional staff and inmates in Nigeria. The six geo-political zones in the country were used, where one correctional centre was selected from each of the zones. Thus a stratified sampling method was adopted to select a correctional centre from each of these zones. Thus a total of 6 correctional centres were used as representation of the six geo political zones that made up the country. The 6 correctional centres used are Kuje correctional centre (North Central), Gombe Correctional centre (North East), Kaduna Central correctional centre (North West), Porthacurt Maximum correctional centre (South South), Enugu Correctional centre (South East), and Ikoyi Correctional centre (South West). These correctional centres are used because they are maximum correctional centres and are adequate and sufficient to represent the entire reforms in the correctional centre because of their homogeneity. The study adopts convenient and random sampling methods to select the correctional centres’ officials and the inmates for the study. Thus, 20 correctional centres’ officials and 30 inmates were selected from each of the 6 correctional centres selected for the study. This makes a total number of 300 respondents selected as sample size for analysis. The data for this study was collected from primary sources. The questionnaire was carefully designed with both close ended of 4 point likert format (Strongly Agreed (4), Agreed (3), Disagreed (2), Strongly Disagreed (l), Undecided (0)) and, a few open ended questions to seek the opinion of the respondents on the rehabilitation programmes provided. Regression analysis frequency distribution and percentages (%) were used and found out that, correctional reforms in terms of administrative, welfare, penal justice, and infrastructural reforms are positively related to inmates’ rehabilitation with statistical significance. It is concluded in general that; correctional reforms are positively related to inmates’ rehabilitation in Nigeria. It is recommended among others that, the Nigerian correctional should ensure the effectiveness of correctional reforms in terms of administrative, welfare, penal justice, and infrastructural reforms in the prisons for the inmates to return back to the society as complete, self-supporting and accepted members of the society.