Physical Conditions Of Prison Facilities In Southwest, Nigeria: Prison Staff Perspective

Abstract

Prison facilities are correctional facilities that are intended to provide a secure and healthy atmosphere for its users as well as to create an environment that supports the goals of the Prison Correctional Service. It is a concern that these facilities remain in decent condition to perform its functions continually. The situation encircling facilities in prison are not palatable varying from facility decay, outstretching of facility capacity, denying prisoners’ minimum space requirement as well as poor maintenance culture. It is on this remark that this study set out to assesses the prison facilities to ascertain the actual condition of each of the facilities in all the prisons located in the South-West of Nigeria. The study adopted a survey research design.  Census sampling and quota sampling techniques were adopted to determine the appropriate sample of the study. Data were collected using two sets of self-administered questionnaires on a census sample of 36 prison maintenance staff and a quota sample of 1094 prison non-maintenance staff. Twenty (56%) copies of the structured questionnaires out of thirty-six (36) administered on prison maintenance staff were completed and returned while three hundred and eighty (35%) copies of structured questionnaires out of one thousand and ninety-four (1,094) administered on prison non-maintenance staff were completed and returned. The collected data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical tools, including percentages, charts, mean scores, and the Mann-Whitney U test.  Results showed that prison maintenance staff perceived the conditions of prison facilities to be good while prison non-maintenance staff perceived the condition as average. The results of the study also indicated that there was no significant difference between the perception of prison maintenance staff and prison non-maintenance staff on the physical condition of prison facilities in South-West, Nigeria. In conclusion, the condition of prison facilities indicated that facilities are yet to be at their optimum state. For a better-performing prison facility to emerge; research advocates that the Prisons Correctional Service should give in more interest in technical attempts directed at restoring the declined state of prison facilities.