Understanding the Impediments to the Development of Rehabilitation Programs in Ethiopia and Ghana: The Case of Dire Dawa Federal Prison and Nsawam Medium Security Prison

Abstract

There have been enormous debates about the impacts of rehabilitation programs in prisons from diverse perspectives. While others believe that rehabilitation programs cannot disassociate a person from committing a crime, significant arguments have been for the positives of the programs. The purpose of the study was to pinpoint the major difficulties encountered in the development of rehabilitation programs in Ethiopia and Ghana. Qualitative research was conducted in Dire Dawa Federal Prison and the Nsawam Medium Security Prison, having inmates, ex-inmates, and prison administrators as participants. The major impediments common to the two settings are a shortage of financial and infrastructural support, an insufficient supply of raw materials, issues related to perceptions, and a lack of motivation to work. These findings aim at helping concerned government agencies and stakeholders work on the impediments and open the issue for advanced research.