CHAPTER ONE
1.1.
Introduction
Crime is
any act or behaviour which violates the norms (normative behaving) of a
society. This would mean that a criminal should be seen as any person who
breaks any of the rules or norm of behaviour by which society is governed and
has the possibility of affecting the wellbeing of other members of the
society.(Roth 2006) Therefore, the importance of crime
prevention and control, maintenance of law and order to the development and
growth of a society,both in the physical and economic sense, cannot be over
emphasized.
Roth (2006) is of the opinion that ‘it is only
amind that is secured and at peace that can rationally address the issues of
procreation,economic development and societal growth. A disturbed mind is a
restless anddistraught personality. It is therefore imperative to have peace
and order in thesociety to assure its growth and development.The role of law
enforcement in the maintenance of peace and order as well as crime prevention
in the society is aforegone conclusion.
Every man by nature is
selfish and self-centered, in most case;he needs the presence of the state
institution of law enforcement to be able to actright. By its establishment philosophy, the Nigerian Prisons Service is an
institution meant to administer penal treatment to adult offenders. It isan
important and indispensable institution in the bid to reduce
crime in the society. On the basis of imprisonment policy, the Nigerian Prisons
Service was established to manage criminals in prison yards. These
constitutional functions empower the prison operatives to:
i.
Keep convicted
offenders (prisoners) in safe custody
ii.
Keep awaiting
trial inmates in custody, until law courts demand their production
iii.
Punish
offenders as prescribed by the law courts
iv.
Reform the
convicted prisoners
v.
Rehabilitate
and re-integrate prisoners who have completed the sentences in the prison.
(Hannah, 2012)
Inferring from the above, the main aim of establishing the prison
institution in all parts of the world including Nigeria is to provide a
rehabilitation and correctional facility for those who have violated the rules
and regulations of their society. However, the extent to which this maxim is
true in practice has been a subject of controversy. Instances abound where the
prisons have become a training ground for criminals instead of rehabilitation
home in Nigeria (Obioha 2011).
Prison Administration
is a complex dynamics of various divisions or units that provide a range of
services in the management of prisons. Such services may include policy
formulation and implementation, finance and budgeting, personnel management and
operations and such others. (Aina, 2010). Prison Administration is further
executed by other institutions of government who are co-players in ensuring a
holistic management of the prison system. Such institutions include the police
which are saddled with the responsibility of arresting, investigating,
interrogating and prosecuting an offender
However, the worry about the manifestation that Nigerian Prisons Service
has not lived up to expectation in terms of impacting positively on the lives
and vocations of inmates has raised several questions that have not yet been
completely addressed on the system’s functions and existence.
Invariably,
all of these issues cannot be isolated from the dynamics involved in prison
administration in Nigeria which is characterized by the system failure
identified with the key players such as the police and the judiciary, which are
saddled with collaborative roles in achieving effective prison administration.
With
these key players generally being indicted of corruption and the Nigeria police
specifically being alleged of ineptitude especially as regards investigations
of cases, the judiciary also being accused of perennial delay in criminal
trials as well as the Nigeria Prisons Service itself being undermined by
shortcomings such as undue political interference, inadequate facilities,
irregular and inadequate training for staff and inmates, in fact, the
effectiveness of the Nigerian prison system might have been eroded (Emeka,
2011).
The drive to
re-position the Nigerian Prisons Service for an improved service delivery in
concert with other key players involved in prison administration in Nigeria has
therefore necessitated this study.It is
against this background that this study is considered pertinent in order to
inquire into prison administration and crime prevention in Nigeria with a
particular reference to Nigerian Prison Service, Agodi Gate Ibadan
1.2
Statement of the Problem
The prison system is an integral component of the whole process of
criminal justice system and crime prevention. The main aim of establishing the
prison institution in all parts of the world including Nigeria is to provide a
rehabilitation and correctional facility for those who have violated the rules
and regulations of their society. However, the extent to which this maxim is
true in practice has been a subject of controversy. Instances abound where the
prisons have become a training ground for criminals instead of rehabilitation
home in Nigeria (Obioha 2011)
Issues
have been raised on security of lives and property of the citizens, safe
custody of inmates, prison congestion, unavailability of detainees in court
resulting in adjournment of cases, unhygienic and dilapidated prison
environment sometimes resulting in epidemics ill treatment of inmates resulting
in recidivism, low level of training on meaningful undertakings resulting into
failure in rehabilitation of prisoners and proper integration into the society
after prison terms (Ogunwumiju, 2013).
1.3
Objectives of the Study
Generally,
this study examines prison administration and crime prevention in Nigeria.
The specific objectives
of the study are to
i.
examine the
objectives of establishing the Nigerian Prisons Service
ii.
identify the
relationship between effective prison administration and reduction in the
occurrence of criminal activities in Nigeria
iii.
investigate
the challenges confronting the administration of Nigerian Prisons and its role
in crime prevention in Nigeria; and
iv.
Suggest
recommendations towards improving the effectiveness of prison administration in
Nigeria.
1.4.
Significance of the Study
This study is highly significant in its intense concern with respect to
the current rate of crime within the Nigerian societies. The study intends to
reveal the nexus between effective prison administration and crime prevention
in Nigeria. Hence, the study will endeavour to probe into the challenges facing
the Nigerian prison service and possible solutions would be suggested.
Also, the
study will advance the frontiers of knowledge in the area of profound impact
which the prison system exerts on the security of lives and properties of the
citizens and reformation of the prisoners as orchestrated not only by the
Nigerian Prisons Service but also other collaborative institutions.
The study will be beneficial to security
agencies especially the officers of `Nigerian prison service, the general
readers and future researchers who may be interested in this kind of research
study
1.5.
Scope of the Study
This study covers the prison administration and crime prevention in
Nigeria with its scope limited to Nigerian Prison Service, Agodi Gate Ibadan.
Therefore, the investigation of this study will restricted to the members of
staff of the Nigerian Prison Service,Agodi Gate Ibadan
1.6. Statement of Hypotheses
Hypothesis One
Ho: Effective
prison administration is not one of the viable instruments of crime control and
prevention in Nigeria
Hi: Effective
prison administration is one of the viable instruments of crime control and
prevention in Nigeria
Hypothesis Two
Ho: There is
no meaningful relationship between effective prison administration and
reduction in the rate of criminal act in Nigerian societies
Hi: There is
meaningful relationship between effective prison administration and reduction
in the rate of criminal act in Nigerian societies
Hypothesis Three
Ho: Inadequate
facilities and poor training are not factors seriously affecting effective
prison administration and rehabilitation of prisoners in Nigeria.
Hi: Inadequate
facilities and poor training are factors seriously affecting effective prison
administration and rehabilitation of prisoners in Nigeria.
1.7. Limitations to the Study
The
Researcher is likely to encounter certain problems in the course of conducting
the research work, some of which may be
Financial Constraint
Every
good and successful research work requires sufficient funds as it will involve
several activities and process. However, this research work may face the
problems of finance as a result of the little financial resources available to
the Researcher.
Time Constraint
The
institution has specified the time for the conduct of the research work, this
specified period of time may not be enough for the conduct of the research work
and this may limit the scope of the research work.
Problem of Data Collection
This
may also pose threat to the research work because most people always feel
reluctant to give out required information due to ethics of secrecy in public
organization. Public officers are not always willing to give out information
based on the principles guiding them
1.8. Definitions of Operational Terms
Prison
Prison refers
to any officially designated place usually fortified for the purpose of
confinement of persons considered guilty of offence in order to punish, correct
and rehabilitate such persons.
Administration
Administration
implies the process of coming together of two or more people to achieve a
predetermined objective. It is a process of getting things done through people.
Crime
Crime is any act or behaviour which
violates the norms (normative behaving) of a society
Crime
Prevention
Crime
prevention is a process or measure put in place by the government in order to reduce
the occurrence of criminal behaviour in the society
Criminal
A
criminal is a person who has been convicted to have violated the rules, laws or
norms of the society
Reformation
Reformation is
the process involved in re-orientating the offender who is in prison custody
with the view to making him abandon his criminal inclination and adjust to an
acceptable mode of behaviour in the society.
Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation
entails the process involved in supporting the prisoner who has just completed
his term of imprisonment to re-settle and be re-integrated into the society in
order for him to live a normal life. The process often includes skill
acquisition and financial assistance.
1.9 Historical
Background of The Nigerian Prison Service
The Nigerian prison system dates as far back as1872 when the
British Colonialists established the first prison in the country and was
situated at Broad Street Lagos otherwise known as Broad Street Prison. The
Prison started with a capacity of 300 inmates. Then the inmates were made to engage
in manual labour in service of the Colonial administration and there were
naturally no specially trained prison staff. However, from 1872to 1910, more
other prisons were established in Calabar, Sapele, Degema, Jebba, Onitsha,
Lokoja, Benin and Ibadan.
In a bid to review the Prison system and made it worthwhile, a
document titled Prison Regulation was made for a review of issues such as admission,
custody, treatment and classification procedures, dieting, staffing and
clothing was published in 1917 and, from 1937 onwards, attempts were made to
modernize the prison system, with varying degrees of success.
However, prior to the abolition of the Native Authority prisons in
1968 and the unification of the prison service, prisons in Northern Nigeria
were administered by the Director of Prisons in the Northern regional
government. By 1972, a decree (Decree No 9 of 1972) established the mandate of the
Nigerian Prison Service.
According to the Nigerian Prison Act 1972, which spells out the
goals and orientation of the Nigerian Prisons Service, prisons are charged with
taking custody of those legally detained, identifying causes of their behaviour
and retraining them to become useful citizens in the society.
The Nigerian Prisons Service derives its operational powers from
CAP 366 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 to among other things take into
lawful custody all those certified to be so kept by courts of competent
jurisdiction; produce suspects in courts as and when due; identify the causes
of their anti-social dispositions; set in motion mechanisms for their treatment
and training for eventual reintegration into society as normal law abiding citizens on discharge; and
administer prisons farms and industries for this purpose and in the process
generate revenue for the government.