ALEX EKWUEME FEDERAL UNIVERSITY, NDUFU-ALIKE, IKWO,

EBONYI STATE, NIGERIA

DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINOLOGY AND SECURITY STUDIES

A TECHNICAL REPORT OF THREE(3) MONTHS STUDENT

INDUSTRIAL WORK EXPERIENCE SCHEME

WRITETEN BY

NWOGBALA EJIKE N.

2019/MS/ 12287

DONE AT

ABAKALIKI MEDIUM CUSTODIAL CENTER, EBONYI STATE

SUBMITTED TO

THE DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINOLOGY AND SECURITY STUDIES

UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF

DR. MACPHERSON UCHENNA NNAM

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT FOR THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE

AWARD OF BACHELOR DEGREE (B.Sc) IN CRIMINOLOGY AND

SECURITY STUDIES.

JULY, 2023
 DEDICATION

To all those interested in Prison reforms in Nigeria

 Acknowledgement

First and foremost, I would like to thank the Almighty God for giving me the opportunity and strength to
pursue further education. It is His abundant grace in each stage that has brought this students industrial
work experience (SIWES) to fruition.

I would also like to give Special thanks to the most important people in my life and to whom these
efforts were directed and have been my anchor, my mother Mrs. Nwogbala Anthonia and my entire
family. They relentlessly stood by me even when I barely had time for them in pursuant of this course.
Their understanding and support went a long way in making this a success. God bless you all.

I am also indebted to the entire staff and lecturers in the Department of Criminology and Security
Studies of AE-FUNAI for their love and care, which helped me to build my thesis capabilities.

Last but not the least, I heartly acknowledge all the wardens of Abakaliki custodial center mostly Mr. A C
Chukwu the Deputy Superintendent Controller of Abakaliki custodial center for being there for me
through out the period of this program as It was a great privilege to work and study under their
guidance and to them all, I say thank you
TITLE

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Objectives of the SIWES

1.2 Historical Development of Prison

1.4 Authority of the Nigerian prions

1.5 Organization of the Nigerian Corrections

1.6 Visions and Value of the Nigerian prion

CHAPTER TWO

1.1 Report on different Units

1.2 Work Experience

CHAPTER THREE

1.1 Case Stud i

1.1.2 Case Study ii

1.1.3 Case Study iii

CHAPTER FOUR

1.1 Conclusion

1.2 Recommendation
 CHAPTER ONE

1.0 Introduction

The Students industrial work experience (SIWES) is the accepted skill training program, forms part of the
approved minimum academic standard in the various degree programmes for all Nigerian universities. It
is an effort to bridge the lacuna existing between theory and practical learning in some programs in the
universities such social sciences, agriculture, engineering and technology, medicine and surgery.

Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) was established in the year 1974. Mainly to prepare

Student's life after school with the help of it's practical knowledge and exposure into the labour market.

According to Ochiagha (2021) practical knowledge is learning without which mastery of an area of

knowledge maybe too difficult to achieve. Practical knowledge involves developing skills, through the

use of tools or equipments to perform task that are related to the field of study. No society can achieve

meaningful progress without encouraging it's youths to acquire necessary practical, such as skills enable

them to harness available resources to meet the needs of the society. SIWES is skill development

program to prepare Students of universities, polytechnics and college of education for transportation

from collage environment to work.

Oyedel (2019) states that work experience are education programs, in which Students participate in
work activities while attending school. It is aimed at exposing students to machines and equipment,
professional to work method and ways of safeguarding the work areas of workers in the industries and
other organizations. The scheme is the tripartite program, involving the students the Universities and
the industries or the employer of labour. It is found by the Federal Government of Nigeria and joinyly
coordinated by industrial training fund (ITF) and national University commission (NUC).
1.1 Objectives of SIWES.

Regularly organizing orientation and programmes

Receive and process master and placement list

Provide insurance cover for students on SIWES attachment

Write and process students' logbook

Provide logistics and materials necessary for effective administration of the scheme.

1.1.2 Scope of SIWES

The scope of SIWES basically entails the majors areas the scheme intends to focus on by allowing
students engage in internship. As earlier mentioned at the start of this paragraph the SIWES scheme
aims majorly in ensuring that the lacuna between classroom learning and theoretical experience is
bridged. Usually as seen in ordinary class learning the student in most cases will tend to see relevance
until a practical side of these lessons is given.In summary, the scope of the SIWES is to ensure that the
students not only see practical solutions to every lessons but also to understand the workings of the
labour market which will in that future ensure that they easily get absorbed into it

.As a Criminology and Security student, I have been able to obtain the essential industrial training
experience during my internship program which took place at Abakaliki Custodial Center in Abakaliki,
Ebonyi State. Having been exposed to practical and activities in Abakaliki Custodial center in duration of
three (3) months.

1.2 History of Nigerian Correctional Service (Prison)

The origin of modern prisons service in Nigeria started in 1861. That was the year when conceptually,
western-type prison was established 1861, lagos was proclaimed as a colony and the colonial authorities
were eargered to protect legitimate trade missionary activities as well as colonial interests of ensuring
law and order and tax collection. This, a police force of about twenty five constables was constituted
with four courts established. This gave rise to the need for the establishment of a prison for the purpose
of penalizing law violators and not necessarily to reform them. Under this arrangement, there were no
formal prison staff, only policemen carried out prison duties. Thereafter, ex-servicemen were recruited
for the job. However, 1934 witnessed effort at the modernizing the prison service in Nigeria whereby
moral and adult education classes were organized for prisoners. (Okunola, 2013).

In Nigeria, the abolishment of Native Authority Prisons In (1968) and the subsequent unification of
the prisons in Nigeria, therefore marked the inception of Nigeria Prisons Service as a composite reality.
Before this, the prisons in the Northern part were under the general supervision of the Northern
Inspector-General of police who was the ex-officio Director of Prisons. In vain the Director of Prisons was
in charge of the prisons in the South. The Gobir report put an end to all that. As a consequence of that
report Native Authority Prisons were abolished with effect from 1st April, (1968). However, due to the
vagaries of the Civil War then raging in the country, it was not (1971) that government white paper on
the reorganization of the prisons was released (Aboki, 2017).

It was followed in (1972) by Decree No.9 of (1972), which pronounced the goals and orientation of the
Nigeria Correctional Centres. The correctional centre was charged with taking custody of those legally
detained, identified causes of their behaviour and retraining them to become useful and important
citizens in the society. (Wolfgang,2021). Though the Decree makes securing of custody the role of the
prisons. It also makes it clear that reformation and rehabilitation are the core purposes of the prisons
service. And to achieve this objective, the administration of the prisons became streamlined. The service
which had hiteto been generally administered under one Director, now had in addition to the Director
"three principle agencies or divisions performing different roles to enable (the prisons ) execute it's
programme without delay and attain to its goals.

Following from this was the need to employ killed manpower especially in the social welfare unit. To this
end, between (1974) and (1980), a group of officers, mostly pivotal teachers were employed as social
welfare officers to take on adjustment-related programmes and rehabilitation of prisoners. In addition,
professional Nurses and Doctors were employed to complete the medical staff strength as well as
expertise. However, between (1972) and (1974), a number of graduates were employed into the service
as general duty officers to see day-to- running of the prisons (woolford, 2019).

The Nigerian prison system derives its importance from three forms of penal legislation, which operate
with each other in Nigeria, the Penal Code accompanied by Criminal Procedure Code cap 81 laws of the
Federation (1990); the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Act Cap 80 laws of the Federation
(1990) and the Sharia penal legislation in 12 Northern States (which applies to only muslim members of
these states). By its formation philosophy, the Nigerian Prisons Service is an institution meant to
administer penal treatment to adult offenders. It's importance is in bide to reduce the rate of crime in
the society. On the basis of imprisonment policy, the Nigerian Prisons Service was established to
manage criminals in the prison yards. These constitutional provisions empower the prison operatives to:

Keep convicted offenders (inmates) in safe custody

Keep awaiting trial inmates in custody, until law courts demant for them.

Reform the convicted prisoners

Punish the offenders in accordance by the law courts

Rehabilitate and re-integrate prisoners who have completed the sentences in the prison. Annual report
(2013).

Inferring from the above, the main purpose of establishing correctional institution in all parts of the
world including Nigeria is to provide a rehabilitation and correctional equipment for those who have
contravened the laws of the society. However, the extent to which the maxim is true in practice has
been a subject of controversy. Instances abound where the Correctional Centres have become a training
ground for criminals instead of rehabilitation home in Nigeria (Obioha 2013). The anxiety about the
manifestation that Nigerian Prisons Service has not lived up to expectations in terms of inculcating
positivity in the lives of the prison inmates has raised several questions that have not been completely
addressed on the system's functions and existence.

1.2.1 Authority of Nigerian Correctional Service

1.The Controller-General of Prisons

Discussing the Nigeria Prison Service authority, we should start with the head of this government
agency. This rank used to be called the Director of Prisons until 1992 and was renamed into the
Controller-General of Prisons since then.

This is the highest rank a worker can grow to, and by the way, right now NPS is headed by Ja’Afaru
Ahmed. Each Controller-General of Prisons serves as the Chief Executive Officer.
The rank’s main task is to make sure all the penal policies are currently formulated and correctly
implemented into life in our country.

2. The Deputy Controller-General

This is the second-highest rank of the Nigerian Prisons Service authority. Shortly this position is called
DCG, and there are currently 6 people who serve as DCG in the organization.

Each one is leading one of the six administrative divisions of the Nigerian Prisons Service. This rank is
responsible for the administration of prisons, their supplies, budget, logistics, various operations, etc.

3. The Assistant Controller-General of Prisons

The next in Nigerian Prison Service authority comes the Assistant Controller-General of Prisons. They are
leading the so-called ‘zones.’ The whole organization consists of 8 such zones Nigeria is divided into.

4. The Controller of Prisons

While Nigerian Prisons Service’s main office is located in Abuja, every territory is divided into (the 8
zones we talked about) has to control different states under it. Each of such states is led by the next rank
in the structure – the Controller of Prisons.

5. Prison Warden

Every prison in Nigeria has its Prison Warden. It is the superintendent of the correctional facility, and the
official rank is known as Superintendent of Prisons (shortly it is abbreviated as SP).

Superintendent is in charge of the whole prison facility, supervises every operation within the facility,
takes care of the security, makes sure the inmates are taken care of, etc.

The rest of the Nigeria Prison Service rank structure Besides the Prison Warden, every prison has other
ranks, including:

Deputy Superintendent of Prisons (shortly called DSP)

Assistant Superintendent of Prisons I (the official abbreviation is ASP.I)

Assistant Superintendent of Prisons II (the official abbreviation is ASP.II)

Senior Inspector of Prisons (the quick name of this rank is SIP)

Inspector of Prisons (the simple abbreviation is IP)

Assistant Inspector of Prisons (the quick rank abbreviation is AIP)

Prisons Assistant I (shortly this rank is called PAI)

Prisons Assistant III (it is abbreviated as PAIII)

1.2.3 Vision of Nigerian Correctional Service

To be a credible Correctional Service that secures, reforms, rehabilitates and reintegrates offenders into
the society.

To provide excellent custodial and Non-Custodial Services that practices

promote public protection by providing assistance for offenders in their treatment

1.2.4 Mission of Nigerian Correctional Service

I. reformation and rehabilitation under safe, secure and humane conditions in accordance with

universally accepted standard and to facilitate their social reintegration into society.

II. To identify inmates' anti-social behaviours and offering treatment to them.

Enrollment of inmates into skill acquisition.

III. Production of inmates to court.

1.2.5 Values of Nigerian Correctional Service

I. To be a credible Correctional Service that secures, reforms, rehabilitates and reintegrates

offenders into the society.

II. To provide excellent custodial and Non-Custodial Services that promotes public protection in

accordance with global best practices.

 CHAPTER TWO

2.1 Report on different Units

The industrial training took place at Ebonyi, Abakaliki Custodial Center located behind Criminal
Investigation Department, Ebonyi State. Abakaliki Custodial Center is medium Custodial center
established in 1946 with the capacity to accommodate 387 inmates but now holds up to 1,354 inmates
and my report on some of the section/units includes

Gate Lodge: The "gate lodge" is the eyes of the prison it has two entrance; the outer and inner gate.
The work of this unit is to check the inmates' status to know if they are dangerous or not before
matching into the prison. In this unit, there is a book known as register, this register is used to to
document inmates'details such as name of inmates, their date of commencement to court and inmates
must appear to this unit before they will be taken to court. This register is also used to record their
belongs such as clothes shoes, belts and phones.

This unit has a chart board. The chart board is always updated every morning after the last day's
activities, this is done to keep update of the number of inmates that are in the cell, the number of
inmates convicted, number of inmates awaiting trial, the number of inmates on death roll, the number
of detainees, number of inmates hospitalized, the number of inmates that are lunatic to ascertain the
number of inmates movement (going to court).

This the unit where the students on industrial training (I.T) were given permit card known as tag. This
tag is to show that they are not inmates and if anyone loses his/her won't the prison warders In this unit
will not let you go until closure of work after counting the inmates and if they are complete you would
be allowed to go, but if they are not, automatically, you will turn to inmates.

DIAGRAM OF GATE LODE CHART BOARD AS Of 11/07/2023

 Male Female Total

Open out 1,232 31 1,354

Convicted Ms/Fs 69 01 70

Awaiting trial 1,248 30 1,278

Ms/Fs

Debtor _ _ _

Lunatic 01 _ 01

Discharged _ _ _

Waiting trial 1,248 30 1,278

Ms/Fs

Debtor _ _ _

Lunatics 01 _ 01

CC IDR (Inmate on 1,323 31 1,354

death roll)

Detainees _ _ _

Lodgers _ _ _

Hospital 05 _ 05

Total

Final

INMATES MOVEMENT

Court Male Female

28 0
Record Unit: Here review inmates past criminal records (profiling) and make inmates profile in relation
to the crime committed, keep inmates documentation, logs, data, and information regarding his/her
correctional terms. Everything about the inmates are taken documented in this unit. All the data
pertaining to inmates' are taken and documented and after which stored in the computer system for
safe keeping and for subsequent use and references. Inmates details such as name, nationality, state,
local government, sex, age, the name of your village chairman/chief, the height of the inmates, the body
complexion such as if the person is slightly fair or fair, the body size as such as fat chubby or slim, the
facial composition such as the size the nose, eyes, mouth, scar on the forehead, moderate lips, tribal
mark and the colour of your hair, date of admission, the type of oftence committed.

The purpose of recording facial composition and height of the inmates is for easy Identification in case
the inmate runs out of the cell. It is also indicated if there is no tribal mark and this section also take a
record of the property of the incoming inmates either money or material things and keep it inside the
store room.

The Environmental Health Unit: This unit is also known as public health unit. This unit takes care of
epidemics, in this unit once inmates are admitted into the prison, they are taken to the unit to check the
person's heath condition and status by running some medical test on them. Medical test such as HIV,
T.B, and Hyperthesis and so on. They also report to minister of health about any serious illness or
outbreak of disease of any kind in facility . After the medical test, if the inmates are free from any
sickness or disease of any form, they would be allowed into the prison. This is done to avoid infecting
other inmates with the disease. The person in charge of this unit is S.P Theresa and according to her the
unit operates every 24hrs.

Administrative Unit: This unit is headed by P.O Ezema, this unit is where all the administrative works of
facility are carried out, the incoming register and outer register is taken care of in this unit. incoming
register deals with receiving mails and sending the response to the place it ought be. Also personal files
and such other files that are important to the smooth running of the custodial center are all kept here.
Any mail that comes to this unit that is beyond their power and control will be referred to the controller
of the facility. This unit is majorly concern about the information all the units need. Personal files and
confidential files of both staff and inmates are kept in this unit, Every activities that goes to the various
units of the facility must pass through administrative unit.

Medical Unit: This unit is also known as clinic headed by Dr. amado Kalu (CC). This unit handles all kind
of health issues of both the inmates, staff of the custodian center and visitors in extension. The unit
have a trained medical doctor from Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching hospital who is a consultant. Any
health issues that cannot be handled within the prison clinic is referred to any government hospita,
government supplies fund and drugs to the unit. There's division of labour in this uni such as doctor's
office, Pharmacist Office, Nursing Dept, Medical Lab Dept, and Public Health unit.

The medical unit is the cornerstone of the units and operate every 24hrs, both during Dec. period, they
are also called emergency unit as they operate both day and night.

Laboratory Unit: This unit is where medical test is runned to detects person with malaria, typhoid, HIV
test and other illness. The person in charge of the laboratory unit is ASCP Nwebor Chijioke.

Female Wing Unit: This unit is mainly restricted for the female inmates and is kept far away from the
male counterparts and they also have some disciplinaries and department like that of male inmates.
There are primary and secondary schools where female inmates also go to learn. They also have
workshops where convicted female inmates who are interested are enroll in skill acquisition.

Special Welfare Unit: This unit is where inmates make calls and everything bothering the inmates are
addressed and the inmates pays money for the cost of recharge card used for the calls.

Religion Center: The chapel is a worship center where all the inmates worship to have a wonderful
moment with their creators. Here, the inmates are been taught serveral things about the words of God
as concern to the live. This where the inmates share the words of God .

The inmates are encouraged here to know that being in the prison is not the end of the life and can be
what they want to become after they release. It comprises many denomination.

Special School: The facility has special school which comprises junior and secondary department: The
purpose of of this unit is to take care of inmates that have not passed through education and who are
interested in education. Their teachers are been sent from government school. Partake in writing O.level
exams, such as WAEC AND NECO, all expenses are taken care of by the government.
Abakaliki Custodial Center has the many workshops where inmates who are convicted and interested to
acquire skills are enrolled for skill acquisition which includes the following:

Talioring workshop, electronics workshop, barbing workshop, welding workshop, arpentry workshop
and so forth

2.2 Relevant Work Experiences

My attachment to Abakaliki Custodial Center was a wonderful academic outing to me. This industrial
training (I.T) exposed me to many things within the prison setting. Before arrival to the prison, I
harboured the ideaology that prison is a punishment zone, but on getting there to discover that inmates
are allowed out of the cell to the prison environment to some funs, and in excercise within the prison
environment.

It also exposed me to rapport relationship existing between prison officers and the inmates. The prison
warders respond to them with decorum, they hardly raise their voices at them unless one the bases of
showing violent attitudes by inmates, the inmate who misbehaved will be taken and put in solatry
confinement known as single cell for the purpose of deterring a subsequent misconduct by the inmate
and other inmates in general. There is different clothes for the prison inmates, clothes with green colors
are for awaiting trial while ones with blues colors are for the convicted inmates.

My attachment to some units of the facility also added greatly to working experience, in Record Unit
where I was attached before I was taken other units. In this unit, they taught me how to take inmates
details for proper documentation and subsequent references. After her this unit, I was transferred to
Gate Lodge unit, in this, there is always a chart board, this chart board is always updated every morning,
this to know the number of inmates in the prison both convicted and awaiting trial. The number inmates
of hospitalized, debtor, lunatic, on death roll, detain, lodge and on inmates movement. This chart board
carry the total of inmates both male and female in the custodial Center.

CHAPTER THREE

Case Study i
My first case study was Mr.Kenneth Oba, a 31 years old man from Izzi Ebonyi State. Admitted on
September 2019 and was charged with being an IPOB member. According he was mobilized amongst 20
others by the Village and made to understand that they were fighting a just cause for the liberation and
freedom of the Igbos. He was arrested amongst 10 others while enforcing the Monday sit-at-home order
and still awaiting trial.

Case Study ii

An interview conducted on Mr.John Ndu shows he is an indigene Izzi in Ebonyi state and was arrested on
the 27th of January 2019 on charges interstate conflict a land dispute between Ezza and Izzi. On his
account they were mobilzed by their Local government chairman to help defend their lands has their
women and men were been killed and raped. He was firstly remanded in the Afikpo prisons for months
before being moved to Abakiliki custodial center where he and over 25 others are still awaiting trial.

Case Study iii

Mr.Ikechukwu Alfred is a 28 years old man from Ikwo, Ebonyi State. He was admitted on June 2020 on
charges on kidnapping. According to him a friend who he identified as Sandra asked him to take care of
a 5years old boy who lived with for a couple of days because she was traveling out of town and that the
boy wouldn't be able to stay that long all by himself. He accepted and on the third day of having the boy
in his custody he was arrested by the men of the Nigerian Police Force. It happened that the boy has
been reported missing for 5 months in Enugu. All attempts to contact or reach the alledged "Sandra" has
been futile. He's currently awaiting trial.

CHAPTER FOUR

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

3.1 Conclusion

Abakaliki ustodial center, Ebonyi State were found to utilize their meager resources in trying to
rehabilitate

non-criminal inmates and/or inmates who were not psychologically prepared for the
rehabilitation programmes. In addition, this correctional service were found to deal with

inmates, majority of who had been convicted of petty offences and who could have been

sentenced otherwise by the courts. The mixing of the petty offenders with the serious ones

was a practice in case of Abakaliki Custodial center and this was not proper as the former group could
easily learn

more sophisticated criminal skills from the latter group. Although prisons were reported to

offer supervision/services to inmates such as training in vocational skills and guidance and

counseling, most of the services were generally unsatisfactory and inadequate. Furthermore,

most ex-prisoner respondents lost socially and economically as a result of imprisonment.

Based on these findings, this study concluded that imprisonment of offenders was not

effective in their rehabilitation.

The findings of this study indicated that prisons suffered from the problems of poor and

inadequate financial, physical and human resources. The financial allocations to meet

essential expenses such as purchase of equipment for the prison industries and farms,

purchase of inmates' food, medicine, clothing and bedding and purchase of staff uniform and

payment of staff salaries and allowances were found to be inadequate. Funds for the

construction of adequate and decent prison staff houses and inmate wards were also not

available or adequate. Physical resources such as inmates' wards, prison staff housing,

inmate recreation facilities, equipment for the industries and farms, transport and

communication facilities were found to be unavailable and/or inadequate and generally

unsatisfactory. The number of prison officers in most of the sections of the prisons was found

to be inadequate resulting to heavy workloads and reduced morale levels among the officers.

The majority of the officers were found to be of generally low academic and professional

qualifications. The officers' terms of service with regard to salaries and allowances, annual

leave days, staff housing, promotions, further training opportunities, retirement and other

benefits were found to be wanting. Cases of delayed police investigations; frequent

postponement of cases by police prosecutors and courts' state counsels, Magistrate's and

judges; loss of police files, denial of bonds especially to petty offenders; and prolonged

and/or postponed court mentions and trials were found to impact negatively on the smooth

working of prison officers. Therefore, drawing from the above results, this study inevitably

concluded that there were factors in the work environment of prison officers undermining

their effectiveness in the rehabilitation of offenders.

Given these findings, this work confirms Organization Development Theories which

emphasize on the use of behavioural science principles and practices in a planned and

systematic way to attain goals such as developing greater organizational competence,

bringing about organizational improvement, improving the quality of work life and

improving organization effectiveness. One of the ways to achieve these goals is to motivate

employees (for example prison officers) with incentives, rewards (such as pay raises and

promotions that enhance their professional standing and reputation) and job satisfiers (such

as recognition, responsibility and opportunities for advancement). The employees need to be

treated equitably and cases of favouritism, nepotism, tribalism and corruption among some

senior officers in promoting junior officers be eliminated. The senior officers must ensure

that they create a positive work environment and that workers (such as junior prison officers)

are given an enabling work environment by ensuring worker participation in the development

and refinement of the jobs they perform, organizing employee meetings, organizing

employee task forces, focusing attention on key problems and getting information flowing

smoothly and ensuring that employees have all the resources they require to undertake their

work successfully.

3.2 RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the results of this study, several recommendations and suggestions are made in the
attempt to achieve successful rehabilitation of offenders by the prisons and prison officers.

First, it is recommended that prisons institutions be maintained to cater for the dangerous and

very serious offenders such as murderers, rapists and robbery with violence offenders who

pose serious threats to the well-being of the society. The Prisons Department should, if

possible, be well funded and equipped with the necessary and adequate physical and human

resources since its failure to achieve its main objective appears to emanate from inadequacy

in the required resources.

In addition to maintaining prisons institutions, it is recommended that constitutional and

penal reforms be undertaken in order to adequately finance, equip and mandate Community

Service Order and Probation and After-Care Services Department to handle the rehabilitation

of all petty offenders who constitute the largest prisoner population. In the present set up of

the Kenya Criminal Justice System, it is the sentencing magistrate or judge who decides

where to commit the offender, that is, to imprisonment or to a community service or a

probation sentence. However, most magistrates and judges opt for imprisonment for most of

the offenders irrespective of the seriousness of the offence.

This study therefore makes the following suggestions:

1. The Government should ensure that the Prisons Department gets enhanced funding in

order to improve its resources and working facilities and conditions for prison officers

and by extension, for the prisoners. Improvement in the Prisons Department could come

from the following undertakings:

a) Ensuring that more funds are allocated to the Prisons Department during the

Government's budgetary process and attracting donor and non-Governmental

organization participation and funding to the Department's rehabilitation

programmes.
b) Ensuring that prison industries and farms are equipped with adequate and modem

equipment for training of prisoners in useful skills. A dog section and walkie

talkie radio communication for prison officers is also necessary because prisons

are security institutions.

c) Ensuring that salaries for prison officers are increased and preferably quadrupled

and all allowances and retirement benefits enhanced to be consistent with the

current high costs of living.

Leave days for officers should be increased to a minimum of four-five days to

enable the officers regain energy lost in their stressful working schedules and/or

environments. The retirement age for prison officers could be raised to at least

sixty years. The retirement benefits for the officers should also be released soon

enough without any delay.

d) Proper housing for prison officers should be constructed and the officers should

also be allowed the option of drawing market-determined house allowances if

proper housing is not available in the prisons' premises.

e) An improved Scheme of Service and Establishment Structure for the Prisons

Department needs to be put in place to facilitate the recruitment, promotion and

retention of adequate and relevantly trained/skilled personnel. The two working

tools should ensure that the promotions of prison officers are not guided by

tribalism and nepotism but by merit and they should not be delayed for long

periods

f) There is need to deploy a resident doctor in every prison and equip the prisons
with sufficient medical supplies in order to cater for the medical needs of

prisoners and prison officers. The present scenario in most prisons is that of FirstAid Kits and Sick Bays
which are manned by unqualified personnel. The result

of this shortcoming has been the rampant disease outbreaks and unwarranted

deaths of prison officers and prisoners which couid otherwise have been avoided.

g) The After-Care Services Section which used to be under the Prisons

Service/Department and which is currently dormant needs to be revived, placed

under the Probation and Aftercare Services Department and be fully ftinded

j) All sentencing magistrates and judges should consider the remand period as part

of the confinement period for those offenders who will have to be committed to

prison. This would help to compel the Police and Prosecution Departments to

hasten their usually slow investigations and compilation of charges and would

also save on resources spent in maintaining remandees and prisoners for long

periods.

k) Non-custodial sentences such as fines, community service, probation sentences

and parole and bonding at least of petty offenders and elderly offenders should be

popularized among magistrates and judges. Only hardcore criminals should be

sentenced to imprisonment. These undertakings would help in decongesting the

currently overcrowded Kenyan prisons. Under any circumstances, there should

be no mixing of petty and serious offenders in the prisons.

omic difficulties.