The Plight of Women Inmates in Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the main challenges experienced by women
inmates in Rivers State of Nigeria. A sample of 51 women inmates
randomly selected from three prison locations in Port Harcourt,
Degema and Ahoada areas participated in the study. The sample
consisted of pregnant, non-pregnant and nursing inmates. The study
sought to ascertain the problems of the inmates on the basis of age (
length of time spent in prison) and status (pregnant/nonpregnant/
nursing). A researcher-designed instrument titled ‘Women
Inmates’ Prison Questionnaire’ (WIPQ) was used to generate data for
the study. The responses were analyzed using mean scores, standard
deviation, t-test and ANOVA statistics. Results showed that the women
inmates’ main challenges were in the area of physical care,
emotional/health, vocational and lastly social. It further indicated that
old and young inmates were significantly different in their perceptions
of the problems they encountered (p>0.05). Furthermore, they were not
significantly different in their perceptions on the basis of status
(pregnant/non-pregnant/nursing, p<0.05). Based on the findings, some
recommendations made amongst others, were that government should
assist women inmates in order to alleviate their problems by
establishing prison counseling centers with trained counselors to
provide services, provision of good clothes, health services, good
accommodation and increasing prison budgetary allocation; as well as
the role of NGOs in providing clothes, food, training in vocations, etc.