Assessing the Treatment of Inmate and Recidivism in Abakaliki Correctional Centre, Ebonyi State-Nigeria

¹Francis Ogbonnia Egwu, ²Chidi Philip Okorie*, ³Aleke Jude Uchechukwu and ⁴Pius Elot Etan                                                                                                       

¹Department of Criminology and Security Studies Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo, Nigeria

²Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Faculty of the Social Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka

³Faculty of Economics Kampala International University, Main Campus Uganda P.O. Box, 20000 Kampala, Uganda

⁴Nigeria Police Force, Enugu State Police Command

Email: piuseliot16@gmail.com; chidiphilip1994@gmail.com; jude.aleke@kiu.ac.ug

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-6807-9484

ABSTRACT

The paper is centered on the treatment of inmate and recidivism in Abakaliki correctional centre, Ebonyi State. The paper aimed at investigating into the treatment approach adopted by the correctional staff in handling convicts in their custody; inmates and staff perceptions of the goals of imprisonment; the extent the prisons abide by the Standard Minimum Rules (SMRs) of the United Nations; and inmates’ attitude towards reformation and rehabilitation. A descriptive study design using a questionnaire was used. We proposed and recommended that in order to curb recidivism and stop in humane treatment of inmates, our correctional center officials and correctional system should treat inmates in a manner that conforms with the rights they have been guaranteed under that Nigerian Correctional Act and the Nigerian Constitution. It was also concluded that the treatment of inmates are inhumane and inhumane treatments leads to recidivism which compliments the need for a better corrective approach in order to stop recidivism. It is of paramount importance that further studies be carried out to ascertain other ways by which inhumane treatment of inmates can be stopped and other measures that need to be adopted to curb recidivism.

Keywords: Correctional Service, Inhumane, Inhumane Treatment, Inmate, Recidivism.

CITE AS: Francis Ogbonnia Egwu, Chidi Philip Okorie, Aleke Jude Uchechukwu and Pius Elot Etan (2024). Assessing the Treatment of Inmate and Recidivism in Abakaliki Correctional Centre, Ebonyi State-Nigeria. IAA Journal of Arts and Humanities 11(2):8-21 https://doi.org/10.59298/IAAJAH/2024/11.2821.33