Institutional Mechanisms and the Reintegration of Offenders in Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined available institutional mechanisms for the reintegration of offenders in Nigeria and determined if these mechanisms enhance the proper reintegration of offenders into society. These were the views on advancing knowledge about the effectiveness of institutional mechanisms in promoting the reintegration of offenders in Nigeria. Data were gathered through Key Informant Interviews with 16 key informants who were drawn from 2 high-ranking correctional officers, 2 online distance learning correctional tutors, 2 members of the Justice, Development and Peace Commission of the Catholic Archdiocese, and 2 officers of CLEEN (Centre for Law Enforcement Education) foundation in Lagos and Abuja, respectively. Lagos and Abuja were selected because both host medium-level correctional institutions with high-profile convicted criminals. The choice of participants was based on their knowledge about the subject matter. Data were analysed using descriptive thematic analysis. The findings indicated that Inmates’ Internship Programme (IIP), Online Distance Learning (ODL), sporting, vocational studies, guidance and counselling, ICT-coding, and economic empowerment programmes are among the available institutional mechanisms for the reintegration of offenders in Nigeria. The findings also revealed that these mechanisms hardly have any positive impact on the proper reintegration of offenders in Nigeria. It concluded that the effectiveness of these institutional mechanisms is limited due to overcrowding, adversarial inmate-officer relations, and insufficient funding, poor nationwide orientation about the acceptance of offenders, as well as officer misconduct.