THE STUDY OF THE ATTITUDE OF PRISON INMATES TOWARDS EDUCATION IN THE PRISON: A CASE STUDY OF OKO PRISON BENIN CITY

 ABSTRACT

          The major purpose of this study was to find out the study of the attitude of prison inmates towards education in the prison, a case study of Oko Prison Benin City.  Some assumptions and statement of problems we made and a sample of ninety four (94) respondents consisting of eighteen officials and seventy six inmates was used. A questionnaire was used as the researcher instrument, while the analysis of data involved statistical calculations using frequencies and simple percentage. Based on the findings, some benefits of inmates education in prison includes:

1.            It provides opportunities to the inmates to acquire skills and attitudes, which enable them to be useful to themselves and their society.

2.            It makes inmates self employed after learners in prison.

3.            Prison education enables the long term serving inmates cope with their jail terms.

TABLE OF CONTENT

Chapter One         

Introduction

Background to the study

Statement of the problems

Purpose of the study

Research questions

Scope of the study

Significance of the study

Limitations of the study

Definitions of the study

Chapter Two         

Literature review

Prison, prisoni or inmates

Historical development of prison education in Nigeria prison

Churches, non governmental organization (NGO’s)

Types of prisons in Nigeria

Chapter Three      

Methodology

Design of the study

Population of the study

Research instrument

Validity of instrument

Reliability of instrument

Data administration and collection

Data analysis

Chapter Four        

Analysis of data and conclusion of results

Chapter Five        

Summary of findings

Conclusion

Recommendations

References 

Questionnaires     

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

          In many countries of the world there is bound to be prison. According to the Encarta concise English dictionary students’ edition by Blooms Bury, a prison is a secure place where somebody is confined as punishment for a crime or while awaiting to stand trial. Nigerian prison, Edo State chapter Oko Prison is an example of prison where this researcher is basing her research on. It is difficult therefore to convince Nigerians that persons serving terms in prisons are likely to be criminal. For this purpose the governments have set up a panel of discussion that will help to educate this inmate. According to the words of secretes prisoners need not be executed. The primary purpose of these prisoners is to set up panel establishment to provide a secure human containment for the inmates who are in custody. According to Rusk R. R. (2007) stated that education is processes which foster desirable and relevant changes in behaviour and attitude of an individual. The element of skill knowledge and its acquisition are rightly added to give clearer meaning to the concept viewed as a process of education, generally, it involves the communication of many factors in primary amongst which are educator and the educate.

          To boost inmates education in the prison is therefore, the education and criminal justice programme took place at the Paris conference of international council for prison education that is (ICPE) in 2000 number of steps where taken to respond to the interest expressed between 2000 to 2003 in Paris. At the world assembly in 2003 a statement of objectives and suggested plan of action were developed. These later approved by the international council inmates’ education programmes as follows:

1.            To persuade national education authorities to take up their natural roles in these areas.

2.            To introduce development and gain acceptance as an educational approach in the field of criminal justice, especially in the area of panel administration and crime prevention.

3.            To persuade national government to adopt panel policies which include the following:

a.    To persuade national government to adopt panel united nation to adopt international council for prison educational programmes.

b.    Every person shall regard as having an intrinsic dignity and view himself regardless of his condition.

c.    Panel instruction shall have as one of the essential purpose at least will be equal in the development of the individual human prison

d.    To avoid this substandard minimum rules for treatment of prisoners (IBE, 1996).

e.    To gather data of interned prisoners for purpose of assisting in crime control over the world.

f.     To ensure proper classification of prisoners vis-à-vis ages, offences and reformation programmes.

g.   To provide adequate welfare services such as health services, feeding, clothing, training etc to all prisoners.,  

Prisoners cannot finance educational programmes themselves. However, this was established in prison by former civilian government of Kano State Late Alhaji barka Zuwpo in (1886) when he was serving seven years jail terms in prison. In this research project discussion will be on Oko Prison Benin City. However, I also discuss the advantages and the study of attitude of prison educational programme as obtained in Oko Prison Benin City and actually I will also mention some examples of these various prison educational programmes.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMS

          Prison education in Oko Prison Benin city is good but looking at the various prison education programme in the prison, the major question is how effective and these prison education programme considering the study of attitude of prison inmates towards education which are financed. This is base on respect of who finance the programmes if it’s the government or the prisoners themselves and if the finance is enough to run the prison education programme.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY  

          The purpose of the study is to find out whether there are educational opportunities in Oko prison Benin City. And also with the various prison education programmes is having moral life, it is hoped that this will; helps to encourages the inmates towards participates in the prison education programmes in Oko generally.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

          Based on the statement of the problems is therefore, the following research questions were formulated on the prison educational programmes as follows:

a.            Are the organization of these programmes effectively?

b.            What aspect of inmate educational programmes are you engaged?

c.            What was your academic qualification before improvement?

d.            Are these prison programmes well financed?

e.            Do you need financial support from the government?

SCOPE OF THE STUDY    

          The study takes a look at the study of the attitude of prison inmates towards education in the prison: A case study of Oko prison Benin City with a viewed to pointing out some of the advantages and disadvantages of its use to inmates and officials.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY    

          This research will be of help to all prisoners and their educational activities and their prison inmate’s education programmes. Moreover, the researcher will also be of benefit to ex-convict and other researcher wishing to improve on the same topic or serve as a basis for similar research studies.

DEFINITIONS OF TERMS

          These terms are based on finding of these meaning according to their uses in these study as follows:

Prison education: This refers to the development of knowledge by inmates to facilitate the amelioration of his general self as well as a prison and development of knowledge of inmates as criminals.

Prison inmates: Those that live in a prison confinement or a place where people that violate the laws of the country are kept in prison. This is building where people are kept as a punishment for a crime they have committed or while they are awaiting trials. According to Clifford William defined prison as the keeping of offender in forms of custody as a punishment are hardly relevant to the simplest tribes, for the nearer one is to survival conditions the less times there is to devote to the care and supervision of offenders.

Education: Is the art of teaching learning and training of the adolescent and adult in the society. According to oxford advanced learners dictionary 6th edition, education can be defined as a process of learning teaching and training especially in school or colleges to improve knowledge and develop skills.

Crime: The activities that involves breaking the laws of the country. According to Clifford Williams defined crime as different meaning when we think of crime, we have a general notion of theft, murder, assault, rape, fraud and other deleterious because the kind of conduct which cannot be allowed free rein without a disruption of order, a decline of public security lives and property and safeguard the social order such offences should be controlled.