Urban Poverty and Juvenile Delinquency in Nigeria: Through the Lens of Port Harcourt Remand Home Inmates

Abstract

This study sets out to examine the problem of urban poverty and juvenile crime in Nigeria using the Port Harcourt Remand Home in Rivers State as a case study. To achieve this objective, 300 respondents were selected for questionnaire completion using a simple random sampling technique. The study relied on both primary and secondary sources of data collection and the simple percentage and chi-square statistical methods were applied in the data analysis process. The findings show that urban poverty is a driving force behind juvenile delinquency in Port Harcourt. The findings also suggest that the Remand Home is ill-equipped to manage juvenile offenders; hence the rehabilitation of inmates is rarely a reality. These findings have important implications for both theory and practice. The study recommends structural reforms towards economic efficiency, equity and democracy as a critical turning point in urban poverty alleviation. It is expected that such reformed conditions will allow for better resource management and improved social, economic and political conditions, thereby reducing many of the pressures that lead to crime and delinquency.