Analyzing The Effect Of Overcrowded Prison Cells On The Well Being Of Prisoners

Analyzing The Effect Of Overcrowded Prison Cells On The Well Being Of Prisoners 

Chapter One

Preface

Background of the study

A captivity is a place/ space used to confine felonious or people condemned or awaiting trial. It includes the land, the house and every other structure located within the institution used for the purpose of detention. This led to the establishment of the first captivity administration modeled on British tradition, and staffed by officers trained in the same tradition when the also Governor,H.S. Freeman, in 1862, was commissioned,inter-alia, to appoint judges and other officers. Hence, the Broad Street Prison was erected in Lagos in 1872, but the captivity constitution furnishing for the establishment of captivity was passed along with the Supreme Court constitution in 1876. thus, the incarcerations administration in Nigerian started in 1876, when the captivity constitution came into force. But, from 1876 to 1920, the police department ran it. still, by 1920, the police desisted to be in- charge of incarcerations administration in Nigeria.

Overcrowding in Nigeria incarcerations occurs where the figures of captures exceeds captivity capacity to an extent convicts can not be housed in a humane, healthy and cerebral manner. In Nigeria, overcrowding is generally called traffic. It constitutes a serious challenge in Nigeria incarcerations especially in incarcerations located in the metropolitan metropolises. In similar incarcerations, cells in Nigeria, installations hold as numerous as doubly or thrice their capacity. In similar cells there’s hardly enough room for captivity convicts to move body and branches freely. In similar state each internee is allocated a “ post ” which roughly is a space of a bottom and a half. maturity of the incarcerations in Nigeria are congested and overcrowded and this produce enormous problem in captivity operation process in terms of reformation, recuperation and reintegration. The capacity of Nigerian incarcerations has remained nearly the same for the once two decades not opposing the intimidating increase in captivity population. These incarcerations were erected by the social administration and native authority preexisting to the period Nigeria gain independence in 1960. The conditions of these incarcerations are in an intimidating state of despair with no sense of conservation or addition reflective of long neglect by the Nigeria government. In fact, utmost of the incarcerations constructed at this period are old, in bad shape and at the points of collapse. still, many incarcerations have been constructed with utmost unacceptable accoutrements , which are a far cry from ultramodern incarcerations across the globe. exemplifications of similar new incarcerations include, Gusua Medium Prison, Kebbi new incarcerations( 1991), Medium Security incarcerations Kirikiri( 1993), Funtia( 2003), Oyo and Eket incarcerations( 2007) independently. Considering the act of imprisonment as the most effective form of warrants of malefactors, nonetheless, in the last many decades, capture ‟ s population in Nigeria have grown mainly, to the extent leading to overcrowding. The overcrowding tends to alter the cerebral, physiological and behavioural well- being of the convicts( Crystal, 2004). The massive affluence of convicts that begun in recent times as a result of detention in bar process has produced a rate of growth in the nation ‟ s convicts population that scholars and legal observers have constantly described and characterized as unknown. Aduba( 2005) reported that the total captivity capacity during the period of 1978 to 1981 was 27,257, but it was revealed that in 1978, the average yearly population was 32,332; in 1979 it was 34,770; in 1980, it was 35,332; and in 1981 it was 38,477( Nigeria captivity services, 1978- 1981). The chance of „ overcrowding ‟ therefore was18.61 in 1978,27.56 in 1979,29.43 in 1980, and41.16 in 1981. presently, Nigeria incarcerations are housing 49,000 in two hundred and thirty four incarcerations out of which 20 are cons while the rest are awaiting trial convicts( Amnesty International Report, 2012). This imaginable condition of overcrowding is fairly easy to honor when one sees it situations where there’s no enough room for captures to sleep; no installations to give enough food, health care or any form of formative conditioning; inadequate staff to insure that captures are safe; lack of accommodation to hold independently types of captures who should be kept piecemeal- kids from grown-up; awaiting trails from condemned, or lack of capacity to admit any further figures so that exigency measures have to be taken in the form of remittal, exigency accommodation or the holding of captures in police guardianship

Statement of Exploration Problem

captivity is a place demarcated and declared as similar by the law of the state and created to insure subdued and guardianship of individualities indicted or condemned of violating the felonious laws of the state. An in- depth assessment of exploration carried by Osondi( 2008) indicate that there’s ever- adding problems of captivity administration, like poor backing, captivity traffic and the failure of the extant captivity laws to address the major ideal for establishing captivity and recuperation of the captivity convicts. This has continued to constitute a cog in the wheel of success in the Nigeria incarcerations. The backing of the system has been on the decline, coupled with uninterrupted increase of captivity convicts, leading to captivity traffic. The captivity administration has inversely been brazened with cases of corruption among many high ranking officers, not minding the small coffers made available for the operation of the captivity by the civil government. Staff, especially the rank and train,(non-commissioned officers) is getting disgruntled in the discharge of their duties as a result of lack of incitement to boost their morale. The captivity system, which immaculately should have been solely for correction of captivity convicts through comforting, recuperation and reform of convicts, has moment, come a parentage ground for hardened culprits who come worse than they were when they got into captivity

Objects Of The Study

The primary ideal of this study is as follows

l To find out why incarcerations are overcrowded.

l To ascertain the extent to which captivity traffic in Nigeria poses a serious challenge on the well being of the convicts

l To find out ways to ameliorate the introductory amenities in incarcerations

l To ameliorate the living conditions of captivity convicts

Exploration Questions

1. What are the reason for overcrowded captivity?

2. To what extent have captivity traffic in Nigeria pose a serious challenge on the well being of the convicts?

3. Do you suppose the introductory amenities handed for captures can be bettered upon?

4. Do you suppose living conditions of captivity capture can be bettered upon?

Significance of the study

The significance of this study can not be undervalued as

l This study will dissect the effect of overcrowded incarcerations cells on the well- being of captures.

l The findings of this exploration work will really give the important demanded information to government agency, captivity service, individual and academia.

compass of the study

This study analyzes the effect of overcrowded captivity cells on the well- being of captures. hence, this study will be demarcated to named incarcerations holding in Lagos state

Limitations of the study

This study was constrained by a number of factors which are as follows

just like any other exploration, ranging from attainability of demanded accurate accoutrements on the content under study, incapability to get data

Financial constraint, was faced by the experimenter, in getting applicable accoutrements and in printing and collation of questionnaires

Time factor time factor disguise another constraint since having to shuttle between jotting of the exploration and also engaging in other academic work making it uneasy for the experimenter

functional description of terms

dissect examine commodity methodically and in detail, generally in order to explain and interpret it.

Effect a change which is a result or consequence of an action or other cause.

Overcrowded captivity a social miracle being when the demand for space in incarcerations in a governance exceeds the capacity for captures.

captures a person fairly committed to captivity as a discipline for a crime or while awaiting trial.