One major objective of the prison system is the ability to give vocational training to prison inmates. This will help to equip them with surviving skills that will make them be meaningfully engaged and not to go back to criminal activities. The Nigerian prison system has failed in this regard. Previous studies on prison system and crime control have not been able to fully address the challenges facing vocational training of prison inmates in Nigeria. This study therefore underscores the challenges facing vocational training of prison inmates in Nigeria. The sample was drawn from 307 respondents: 117 inmates awaiting trials, 147 convicts, 5 lifers and 38 prison staff. The samples were drawn using stratified sampling method. Questionnaire and in-depth interviews were used to generate data for the study. The questionnaire focused on demographic characteristics of respondents, their knowledge of expected vocational and correctional facilities and the breakdown of vocational, recreational and educational facilities in the Nigerian prison system. The Marxist theory of state was the theoretical framework. Participants were 92.2% males and 7.8% females. Results reveal that the following vocational facilities do not exist in the Nigerian prison system: barbing and hair dressing saloon (52.1%), auto repairs and mechanics (79.5%), shoe making (65.8%), fashion designing (84.0%), carpentry and electrical repairs (91.2% respectively). Also, the recreational facilities that are lacking include: table tennis (64.8%), basket ball (77.6%) and volleyball (84.7%). The only recreational facility available is football (82.4%). In addition, the Nigerian prison system also lacks the following educational facilities: library (95.7%) and teaching aids (97.7%). Level of education of prison officers was found to be significant with awareness of the expected correctional facilities in prisons at p = .004 level of significance. There was no significant relationship between sex and attribution of availability of skill acquisition facilities as a prerequisite for effective correction of inmates at p = .091. The study therefore recommends the provision of vocational, educational and recreational facilities in the Nigerian prison system. This becomes necessary in order to overcome recidivism in the Nigerian prison system.

Username
Password