Abstract
This article examines the socioeconomic backgrounds, patterns of offense seriousness, and sociolegal correlates of length of prison sentence of a sample of convicts in two Nigerian prisons. Presentation of the empirical analysis is preceded by an outline of Nigeria's socioeconomic and politicolegal structures to provide a systemic appraisal of the nation's crime and penological features. The results of the investigation show that the inmate population is drawn from the young, poorly educated, and politically and economically disadvantaged groups. The lengths of prison sentences imposed on the convicts were found to be related to type of crime, age, preincarceration income level, and prior record. Older convicts, those convicted of violent property crimes, and lower-income earners generally received longer prison sentences. Paradoxically, convicts with prior conviction records generally received shorter prison sentences.
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