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THE ROLE OF CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES IN REDUCING RECIDIVISM IN ANAMBRA STATE.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
The post-release outcomes of people are a fundamental issue in the intensive studies of criminal justice reform. Theoretical shifts in different jurisdictions worldwide have seen a shift in correctional facilities not focusing on purely punitive purposes of isolating and punishing criminals but as rehabilitative centres that focus on reforming individuals and enhancing their successful integration into society (Petersilia, 2003; Cullen, Johnson & Nagin, 2011). The dual purpose of custody and correction is the fundamental assumption of the modern correctional philosophy, but how much such institutions actually accomplish the goal of minimizing recidivism, or, in other words, the relapse of the released offenders into criminal behaviour, is a highly controversial empirical and policy question.
Formal translation of the given rehabilitative paradigm into the language of law, in Nigeria, came with the Nigerian Correctional Service Act No. 2 of 2019. This historic act officially changed the name of Nigerian Prison Service to Nigerian Correctional Service and the purpose of the institution to include non-custodial services, rehabilitation, reintegration, and enhancement of state security (Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019). Section 2 of the Act explicitly requires the Nigerian Correctional Service to take care of custody, rehabilitation and reformation of offenders and administration of non-custodial measures. The Act, therefore, bears out a decisive legislative recognition that incarceration is not everything that can be done to prevent reoffending but that a programme-based intervention is invaluable.
The state of Anambra located in the southeast geopolitical zone of Nigeria provides an empirical environment that is interesting to assess the extent to which correctional facilities help in reducing recidivism. The state has the Awka Medium Security Custodial Centre and the Onitsha Custodial Centre, two large facilities of the Nigerian Correctional Service, which along with a combined population frequently exceeds their jointly installed capacity of approximately 800 people (Nigerian Correctional Service, 2022). Anambra too is one of the most business-enlivened states in Nigeria; it is a state having a high level of informal economy and a population with a strong tendency of entrepreneurism and strong communal relations. These qualities can both cause certain limitations and create unique possibilities of the reintegration of ex-convicts (Obiechina, 2021).
Nevertheless, although the 2019 Act has reformist intentions, the application of these intentions in the state of Anambra has been uneven. The correctional centres in the state still have to deal with overcrowding, understaffing, lack of funds to support rehabilitation programmes, and lack of post-release follow-ups. In a 2022 audit by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), it was found that correctional centres in Southeast Nigeria, including those in the Anambra, did not provision vocational training to less than 20 percent of their custodial populations, and formal education programmes to even smaller percentages of inmates. These limitations undermine to a significant degree the rehabilitative principle of the 2019 Act and cast severe doubts on the ability of current correctional facilities to reduce recidivism.
In Nigeria, recidivism is a major problem, which has become underreported. However, despite a lack of consistency when data is collected to formulate national statistics, scholars estimate that 40 to 50 percent of released offenders in Nigeria re-enter the criminal world and are re-arrested or convicted within three years of release (Okafor, 2022; Alemika and Chukwuma, 2019). In the state of Anambra, the intersection of extreme youth unemployment (measured at 37.9 percent of the population, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, 2023), the stigmatization of ex-convicts in the community, and the lack of economic opportunities ex-prisoners can obtain after release make the area very favorable to recidivism. In a survey of former offenders in southeast Nigeria, Nnadi and Eze (2021) found that unemployment and rejection by family members were reported to be the driving force that motivated most of the ex-offenders to re-offend in the space of a year after their release.
The world is witnessing research studies that focus on strategies that have proved to be effective in reducing recidivism. Empirical studies have empirically shown that the use of rehabilitation programmes, which combine aspects of vocational training, education, cognitive-behavioural therapy, and post-release structured support, are proven effective in reducing recidivism across various jurisdictions (Andrews and Bonta, 2010; MacKenzie, 2006; Lipsey and Cullen, 2007). One of the most rigorous conceptualisation of establishing efficacious correctional interventions is the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) model, which was originally developed by Andrews, Bonta, and Hoge (1990) and later further developed; it is focused on high-risk offenders, deals with criminogenic needs, and implements the interventions to be provided in a way that is responsive to the learning styles and personal conditions of the offenders. The current research problem is the issue of whether the correctional facilities in the state of Anambra are organized, staffed, and programmed according to this evidence base.
This paper, therefore, focuses on how correctional facilities in Anambra State can reduce recidivism by looking at (i) the nature and quality of rehabilitation programmes being offered to inmates, (ii) the effectiveness of post-release support programs, (iii) structural and institutional constraints that restrict the success of rehabilitation, and (iv) reformation possibilities. The study will help to narrow the knowledge gap on this subject by offering empirically based knowledge on the matter, and help to achieve the goal of enhancing the correctional practice in Anambra State and the wider national effort of reforming the correctional system of Nigeria so that the vision of the 2019 Act can be fulfilled.
Under the Nigerian Correctional Service Act of 2019, it became an imperative that the orientation of the custodial institutions in Nigeria be changed, rather than remaining prisons with the sole aim of punishing, it became a centre that is oriented towards correctional, re-formation, and reduction of recidivism. Evidence however indicates that the correctional facilities in Anambra State are yet to actualize this mandate in full and thus, there has remained a cycle of re-offending that has cost a lot to the individuals, families, communities and the state.
The rehabilitative capacity of the correctional centres in the State of Anambra is severely curtailed by structural constraints in the correctional centres. Another crucial issue is overcrowding: According to official data provided by the Nigerian Correctional Service in 2022, the custodial centres in Anambra had over 3 times the officially approved capacity, and a significant portion of the total population of inmates is made up of pre-trial detainees, who are not exposed to rehabilitation programs in any way. The Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP, 2022) also recorded that awaiting-trial persons were almost 68 percent of the entire custodial population in Southeast Nigerian institutions, including Anambra, which is consistent with national trends and also suggests a massive waste of correctional resources.
Quality and accessibility of vocational, education and psychosocial rehabilitation programmes in the correctional centres in Anambra have been periodically criticised as being substandard.
A survey conducted by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC, 2022) found that many inmates in Southeast Nigeria’s correctional centres either had no access to skills acquisition programs or found available programs to be insufficiently structured, poorly resourced, and disconnected from the actual labour market demands of communities to which inmates would be released. This disconnect between training content and employability severely reduces the practical value of whatever rehabilitation programming does exist.
Post-release support widely recognised in the global literature as one of the most critical determinants of successful reintegration and reduced recidivism is almost entirely absent in the Anambra State context. There is no structured parole system operating in the state, no government-funded resettlement programme, and no systematic mechanism for linking released offenders with employment, housing, mental health, or social support services. Released inmates are essentially left to navigate reintegration independently, with little more than a token discharge allowance and whatever personal relationships they have managed to preserve during incarceration.
The consequences of these failures are predictable. Ex-convicts in Anambra who cannot find employment, who are rejected by their families and communities, and who receive no institutional support are at significantly elevated risk of recidivism. This represents not only a failure of the correctional system but also a broader public safety and human development failure. Yet despite the scale of the problem, academic studies specifically examining the role of correctional facilities in reducing recidivism in Anambra State are remarkably scarce. This study is positioned to fill that important knowledge gap.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The main objective of this study is to examine the role of correctional facilities in reducing recidivism in Anambra State. Specifically, the study seeks to:
- Find out what rehabilitation programs are available in correctional facilities in Anambra State.
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Determine how effective these rehabilitation programs are in reducing re-offending among released inmates.
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Examine the post-release support systems available to ex-convicts in Anambra State.
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Identify the major challenges facing correctional facilities in carrying out their rehabilitative functions in Anambra State.
Other project topics and materials works you may like -
Suggest ways to improve the role of correctional facilities in reducing recidivism in Anambra State.
1.4 Research Questions
The following research questions guide this study:
- What rehabilitation programs are currently available to inmates in correctional facilities in Anambra State?
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How effective are the rehabilitation programs in correctional facilities in reducing recidivism in Anambra State?
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What post-release support systems exist for ex-convicts in Anambra State?
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What challenges do correctional facilities in Anambra State face in fulfilling their rehabilitative mandate?
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What measures can be taken to improve the effectiveness of correctional facilities in reducing recidivism in Anambra State?
1.5 Research Hypotheses
The following null hypotheses are tested in this study:
H01: There is no significant relationship between participation in rehabilitation programs and reduced recidivism among ex-convicts in Anambra State.
H02: There is no significant relationship between the availability of post-release support and the reintegration outcomes of ex-convicts in Anambra State.
H03: There is no significant difference in recidivism rates between ex-convicts who received vocational training during incarceration and those who did not.
1.6 Significance of the Study
This study is significant at multiple levels. At the academic level, it contributes to the body of criminological knowledge on correctional effectiveness in Nigeria, specifically addressing the gap in research on Anambra State. While studies on correctional facilities and recidivism exist for Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory, and other states in southern Nigeria, the Anambra context has received comparatively little scholarly attention. This study provides a foundation for further research and theoretical development on correctional outcomes in Southeast Nigeria.
At the policy level, the findings of this study are directly relevant to the Nigerian Correctional Service, the Anambra State Ministry of Justice, and federal and state legislators. The study assesses the extent to which the rehabilitative mandate of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act (2019) is being fulfilled at the state level and identifies specific gaps that require policy attention. The recommendations of this study can inform the design of more effective rehabilitation programming, the establishment of post-release support systems, and the allocation of resources within the correctional system in Anambra State.
At the practical level, the study is relevant to civil society organizations, faith-based institutions, and community groups working on ex-convict reintegration in Anambra State. Organizations such as Prison Fellowship Nigeria, the Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP), and the Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA) can draw on the findings and recommendations of this study to strengthen their advocacy and programmatic interventions. The study is also relevant to employers and community leaders, who are important stakeholders in the reintegration of ex-convicts and whose cooperation is essential to any successful strategy for reducing recidivism.
More broadly, by demonstrating the relationship between effective correctional programming and reduced recidivism, this study contributes to the evidence base for a correctional system that is not only more humane but also more cost-effective. The social and economic costs of recidivism including costs to victims, to the criminal justice system, and to communities are substantial. Investment in rehabilitation is ultimately less costly than the perpetuation of cycles of reoffending (Travis, Solomon & Waul, 2001; Aos, Miller & Drake, 2006).
1.7 Scope and Delimitation of the Study
This study focuses on the role of correctional facilities in reducing recidivism in Anambra State, Nigeria. The two primary correctional facilities under study are the Awka Medium Security Custodial Centre and the Onitsha Custodial Centre, both of which are operated by the Nigerian Correctional Service and represent the principal custodial institutions serving the population of Anambra State.
The study covers the period from 2019 to 2024, a timeframe chosen to coincide with the implementation period of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act (2019) and to allow for an assessment of changes in correctional practice under the new legislative framework. Participants in the study include current inmates, recently released ex-convicts (within three years of release), correctional officers and officials, representatives of civil society organizations active in correctional settings, and community members in areas where ex-convicts have resettled.
The study is delimited to issues of rehabilitation programming, post-release support, and the structural conditions affecting rehabilitative capacity. It does not address the conditions of pre-trial detention in detail, the quality of legal representation afforded to defendants, or the sentencing practices of the courts, although these are acknowledged as contextually relevant.
1.8 Limitations of the Study
The study acknowledges the following limitations. First, accessing correctional facilities for research purposes in Nigeria requires official permission from the Nigerian Correctional Service, and the process of obtaining such clearance can be protracted. The study will mitigate this challenge by initiating the permit application process well in advance and by engaging in ongoing communication with facility administrators.
Second, participants particularly current inmates and recently released ex-convicts may be reluctant to speak freely about their experiences within correctional facilities or about their own reoffending behaviour, due to concerns about reprisal or further stigmatization. The study will address this through the use of anonymous questionnaires, assured confidentiality, and the establishment of a trusting relationship with participants through community gatekeepers.
Third, official data on recidivism and correctional program outcomes in Nigeria are incomplete and inconsistently maintained, reflecting wider deficiencies in the national statistical infrastructure for criminal justice. The study will triangulate such official data with primary qualitative and quantitative data collected directly from participants to ensure the robustness of its findings.
Fourth, the study is geographically restricted to Anambra State, and findings may not be directly transferable to other states with different socioeconomic, demographic, or institutional contexts. The study will acknowledge this limitation in its conclusions and avoid overgeneralization.
1.9 Operational Definition of Terms
Correctional Facility: Any custodial institution operated by the Nigerian Correctional Service for the confinement and rehabilitation of persons convicted of criminal offences, including medium-security and minimum-security custodial centres. In this study, the term refers specifically to the Awka Medium Security Custodial Centre and the Onitsha Custodial Centre in Anambra State.
Recidivism: The commission of a further criminal offence by a person who has previously been convicted and served a custodial sentence. For the purposes of this study, recidivism is operationally defined as rearrest, reconviction, or return to a correctional facility within three years of initial release.
Rehabilitation Program: Any structured intervention including vocational and skills training, formal education, cognitive-behavioural therapy, substance abuse treatment, spiritual development programs, and social skills training offered within a correctional facility with the explicit aim of reducing the likelihood of re-offending and promoting successful reintegration.
Reintegration: The process by which a released ex-convict returns to community life and takes up productive social, economic, and civic roles. Successful reintegration in this study is indicated by stable employment or self-employment, stable housing, positive family relationships, absence of re-arrest, and self-reported psychological wellbeing.
Ex-Convict: An individual who has been convicted of a criminal offence by a court of competent jurisdiction in Nigeria, has served a custodial sentence in a Nigerian Correctional Centre, and has been formally released.
Post-Release Support: Formal or informal assistance provided to ex-convicts following their release from correctional custody, including counselling, employment assistance, housing support, financial assistance, mentoring, and family mediation services.
1.10 Organization of the Study
This study is structured into five chapters. Chapter One, which is the present chapter, introduces the study by providing the background, statement of the problem, objectives, research questions, hypotheses, significance, scope, limitations, theoretical framework, operational definitions, and the organization of the study.
Chapter Two presents a comprehensive review of related literature, covering conceptual definitions, theoretical perspectives, empirical studies from Nigeria and comparable international contexts, and a review of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act (2019) and its implications for correctional practice in Anambra State. Chapter Three describes the research methodology adopted for the study, including research design, population, sampling technique, instruments of data collection, validity and reliability procedures, and methods of data analysis. Chapter Four presents the data collected from the field, analyses the findings in light of the research questions and hypotheses, and discusses the implications of the findings in the context of the existing literature. Chapter Five concludes the study with a summary of findings, conclusions, and recommendations for policy and practice.
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