Ex-Convicts in a Dilemma of Reintegration: A Study of Uyo, South-South Nigeria

Abstract

In acknowledgement of the wide range of challenges faced by correctional institutions and the
subsequent challenge that ex-convicts experience in their bid to be reintegrated into the mainstream society after the jail terms informed this study. Driven by the need to stem the tide
of recidivism, the study utilized secondary data from relevant penal institutions to trace past
prisoners, as well as, in-depth semi-structured interviews, including questionnaire tools to draw relevant data. A total of 63 ex-prisoners were contacted through a random process. Emerging data reveal that: most ex-convicts did not take advantage of training programmes while serving their jail terms; imprisonments come with isolating implications; ex-convicts are socially and legislatively not favoured in the labour market; and the correctional facilities are grossly incapable of bettering the lots of ex-convicts. Therefore, it was recommended from this study more correction-based legislations, improvement in penal facilities and personnel, and sensitization of the mainstream society towards positive disposition to the reintegration of ex-convicts.