Most correctional facilities in the world have nothing to write home about. The prisons are one of the worst kept places in many countries and the inhabitants of these places are usually subjected to one of the most inhumane treatments. It’s scary enough to deter anyone from ever wanting to go to prison, and keeping them all away from crime.
And here in Nigeria, the story is no different. We’ve heard stories of just how corrupt the prison system is. So many horrible things go on within those walls and words can’t even begin to express just how bad they are.
But then, one might argue that the people who are in prison deserve such treatment. After all, committing a crime means doing things without respect for the rights of others, and the punishment for that is to be taken to a place where you would have no rights at all. And then, we also know that many people in prison today are innocent. For one reason or the other, they found themselves under lock and key and they’ve been stuck there for a while now.
So, do the innocent ones also deserve to be treated that way? Let’s not forget that the funding for these prisons comes from the taxpayers. After all, there’s nothing much convicts can do from a small cell, so they have to rely on the government for feeding, health, and whatever else it is that prisoners require. And for the government, they rely on the taxpayers.
So, is it right that your hard-earned money is being used to take care of hardened criminals? Do you think it’s even worth it? Do you feel that the criminals will ever change? For this post, I’m going to assume that we live in a perfect world where only criminals are actually in prison and no innocents are locked there unjustly.
Even for criminals, the prison is one of the worst places to be. You get isolated from the rest of society and just about every second of your life is monitored and dictated. A single misstep can be fatal for you. And you can find yourself in an isolated cell, away from other prisoners as well. Personally, I don’t think there would be anything wrong with this system in such a world.
For someone who took joy in killing or raping people, they very much deserve the kind of prison that we have. They deserve to suffer just as much as their victims did. It’s not fair that while their victims are struggling to live their lives after the tragedy, the criminals are enjoying a good life in prison. So, the fact that most prisons are in deplorable states, could be an added bonus on the path to rehabilitation.
However, if we’re being honest, the problem is not really about the prison system. I believe the system has the power to change people, no matter how hardened you are. The problem is with the society when they’re released back to it, and the stigma they have to face as an ex-convict.
Fresh out of prison, no matter how much you’ve changed, people will never truly accept you back. You won’t get jobs, and you’ll come to find out that rooms will automatically get empty the minute you walk in. So, you might not have friends, family, jobs…. And with no jobs, they have no source of income. And with no source of income, how then are these ex-convicts meant to survive? No matter how badly you want to change, you’ll never be able to resist starvation. The human body is not firewood, when you’re hungry, you can do crazy things just to eat.
This is why I believe many ex-convicts find themselves returning to the original crimes they were previously arrested for, once they’re released. Because for many of them, that’s the only thing they know.
Of course, I’m not making excuses for these guys. There will never be anything that will justify a life of crime. In this day and age, there are better alternatives. It’s easier to get skills, and it’s easier for anyone to get a remote job. Working from home with a client that doesn’t care about your rap sheet. However, it’s never that easy. For many of these guys, it’s a state of mind. The prison does something to the mind, and before you can ever fully return to society, you have to rewire it.
So, I believe that rehab is very much possible, but society makes it hard. Ex-convicts who have families to come back to find it easier to bear, but those who have nothing and no one to return to will most likely find their way back to the path that will definitely lead them back to prison. It’s not fair, but it is what it is.
But alas, we live in an imperfect world. Our prison systems are not just filled with criminals and felons but also innocents who will have the “ex-convict” status forever stamped against their names. They wouldn’t deserve the kind of reception they’d get when they return to society, but I can only hope that they find a way to get their sense of self back.
So, my dear friends, rehab is very much possible. We just make it so darn hard!