Perceived Prison Environment as Predictor of Prisoners’ Adjustment: The Mediating role of Resilience among Inmates in South-West Nigeria

Abstract

The concept of studying prison behaviour, particularly adjustment after incarceration has evolved with the cause of time and has ultimately become a veritable source for understanding how prisoners employ personal adjustment characteristics in their respective socio-cultural, economic and demographic circumstances. These behaviours actually define social position of inmates and provide a better understanding of behavioural process that reduces the overall economic cost of adjusting problems within prison communities. The problem of adjustment is under-reported in common place within the Nigerian correctional Service. This study examined the role of prison environment as predictor of Prisoners’ adjustment among inmates: The mediatory role of resilience.Using a correlational survey design and systematic sampling technique, four hundred and seventy-six convicts responded to Prison Environment scale, resilience Scale, and Prison Adjustment Scale. Analysis of the data with Linear and multiple regression and Sobel statistics. Findings revealed that, Prison environment significantly predicted prisoners’ adjustment β.26, t 5.25’’, p< .01, Resilience significantly predicted prisoners’ adjustment β.18, t 2.25’, p< .05 Furthermore, the strength with which resilience mediated the relationship between prison environment and prison adjustment was significant. Thus, (Ƶ = 2.31, p., <. 05). It was recommended that, government may need to take into consideration the condition of the prison environment and resilience when designing programs toward promoting or enhancing psychologically well-adjusted prison inmate.