Forensic/Correctional Psychology Tips For Effective Service Delivery And Measures In Nigerian Prisons: A Training Guide

Abstract

There is the increasing concern about insecurity in the nation and the modern Nigerian Prisons Service has a crucial role to play in the fight for adequate national security.  Being proposed in this article is a psychologically based training manual for the Nigerian Prisons Service with the focus of enhancing inmates’ rehabilitation and reformation through the enrichment of the training standards of officers and welfare workers.  It is argued that a psychologically prepared officer is essential in order to effectively protect life and property of the people.  It is argued that a highly functional prison system usually begins with a psychologically competent prison officer, as such, a psychologically based manual is being proposed in this paper.  Inmates’ psychological needs are shown to be enormous but the services in the NPS remains full of challenges with regard to meeting these needs.  In this paper attempts are made to point out the need for updated mental health training for welfare counselors and security officials.  For rehabilitative purposes basic explanations of psychological disorders with regard to issues of psychopathology, personality, and other clinical problems common to inmates are given.  The importance of correctional risk assessment with regards to the evaluation of various types of risk assessments posed by inmates is given in this paper.  The behavioral characteristics of inmates are indicated through psychological screening and evaluation tools are given.  The names and the purposes of various screening and psychological measuring instruments are identified.  This paper points out different roles of correctional psychologists with regard to the better classification and management of inmates and the issues of mental health crises, dangerousness, suicide, or emergency situations in prisons are explained.

Keywords: Prisons, Corrections, Psychopathology, Screening, Officers, Procedures, Nigeria