Rehabilitation of Inmates in Nigeria:: A Study of Nigerian Correctional Service, Medium Security Custodial Centre, Sokoto, Nigeria
Preparing inmates for re-integration into the community is one of the primary goals of prisons and jails. However, the problems of care and rehabilitation of inmates is a major social problem in almost all the security custodial services in Nigeria. Sokoto Medium Security Custodial Centre in particular needs much attention. Medium Security Custodial Centre in Sokoto today holds more than its capacity and insufficiency of funds has made the upkeep of the inmates a difficult task. Despite various reforms embarked by government geared towards care and rehabilitation of prisoners in Nigeria, the conditions of these inmates left much to be desired as the inmates are faced with moral condemnation and rejection from the society. The study attempts examination of the condition of the inmates as well as the rehabilitation programmes available at the custodial centre. The research was purely a quantitative study. Data were collected through the use of questionnaire and interview schedule. A total of 264 questionnaires were administered, 220 were retrieved and analysed using descriptive statistics, specifically using percentages, distribution tables, charts, means, Likert-type scale and other measures of central tendencies by the help of Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS version 22). The research found that the living condition of inmates in Sokoto Medium Security Custodial Centre is very poor, and that there is a relationship between the general condition of the inmates and the effectiveness of the rehabilitation of inmates in the Centre, as well as a relationship between the methods of rehabilitation and its effectiveness on inmates