Abstract
The Anambra Prison Services is like other Nigerian Prison Services. It is a
complex organization faced with many managerial and structural problems,
which hampers effective management of the services, thereby impacting it
from achieving its set objectives as it is written in the Prisons Decree of
1972. This paper examined the likely problems that militate against the
effective management of the services, ascertain whether the services has the
right calibrate of staff and also investigate the authenticity of the claims of
the prison services which its policies, programmes, aims and set objectives
are reformative and rehabilitative. The research instrument consists of the
following.
1. Oral interview
2. Documentary records
The findings in the present study suggest that there is need to re-examine our
prison system with a view to having them re-moulded to become more
rehabilitative, less congested and thereby more humane. Finally, there
should be need for more adequate
INTRODUCTION
The definition of management cannot easily be stated in one line of thought.
Individuals differ in their understanding and definitions of the term.
Advanced Dictionary of current English defined management as skilful
treatment and delicate contrivance.
Obikeze and Obi (2004) defined management as the process of combining
and utilizing or allocating organization inputs (me, material and money) by
planning, organizing, directing and controlling for the purpose of producing
outputs (goods and services or whatever the object are) desired by customers
so that the organizational objectives are accomplished.
Drucker (1989) sees management as denoting a function as well as the
people who discharge it, a social position and authority, and also a
discipline.
Some scholars see management as a collective noun referring to a certain
group of people occupying the top echelon of organization.
Management can be seen as the process of utilizing the available human and
material resources in order to achieve the goals and objective of an
organization. In essence, management involves combing and utilizing men,
material and money to achieve desired results in an organization.
Prison, is an institution designed to securely house people who have been
convicted of crimes. These individuals known as prisoners or inmates are
kept in continuous custody on a long term basis. The Encyclopedia of social
sciences defines prison as a place where persons whose liberty has been
curtailed by law are confined to assume the successful administration of
justice or application of panel treatment. Individuals who commit the most
serious crimes are sent to prison for one more years, the more serious the
offense, the longer the prison term imposed.
Before the advent of British rule in Nigeria, there were, in the various towns
and villages diverse ways of punishing miscreants. These varied from one
community to the other and were dictated largely by the tradition, customs
and belief of a people. One thing seems clear however, that is natural that a
wrong doer whose continued freedom and liberty pose a threat to the general
community should be restrained. It was therefore common to lock up a
suspected wrong doer till a competent body or authority “tried” him/her or
as a means of punishment (mostly prescribed by the adjudicating body or
authority) bind him with shackles etc, there by confining and restraining
him. Ikeazor (1986)
In our traditional societies, the Ogboni house serve as a sort of prison in
Yoruba land. The Edo’s, the Ewedo building served only for keeping those
to be sold but also those offenders who had to be put away for sometimes. It
is also on record that in 1908 Sir Frederick Lugard recorded the existence of
prisons among the Fulani ethnics who used them both for incarcerating
offenders and for locking away condemned prisons. The Ibo’s built
darkroom or houses were constructed by communities, villages and powerful
individuals in the society for the purpose of confirming offenders and
captives.
Nnonyelu and Obiajulu (1997). Thus the concept and reality of
imprisonment in Nigeria the arrival of British Colonialists Nigeria. The
British people were for administrative conveniences and imperialist motives
that any other reason else. The penal system was introduced into Nigeria as
an ancillary measure led to the promulgation of staggering member of
regulations. The Nigerian penal system as it stands today has its roots in
country’s colonial past.