“Locked Up but Shouldn't Be Forgotten”: Basic Educational Training and Career Placement as Potential Tools for the Reintegration and Rehabilitation of Former Prisoners in Nigeria

Abstract

This article highlights the importance of basic educational training and career placement in the process of reintegrating offenders who have completed their jail term into Nigerian society. Proceeding from the position that the majority of incarcerated offenders lack the basic educational qualifications that could facilitate sustainable employment for them before and/or after their prison term, which may also have implications for the increased rate of recidivism, this article argues that offender rehabilitation in Nigeria should focus on literacy programs that could provide opportunities for postrelease employment. This article explores the structure of the prison system in Nigeria, provides empirical data about the sociodemographic characteristics of the inmates, explores the available rehabilitation programs, and identifies the gaps in the existing ones. The conclusion considers basic literacy/numeracy skills and career placement as vital in the process of rebuilding the hopes of former inmates, and ultimately reintegrating them into the larger society upon their release.