INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY 

“We are all in prison said Sir Alexandra (1999) but is a matter of degree”. He meant that all of geographically owing to choice, employment, political or economic conditions. But this conditions are given willingly and the victim perhaps unconscious of the occurrence. But there is however, a difference in kind, when we consider the imprisonment enforced by the sentence of court upon citizens of law. The place of captivity, especially a bucking to which persons are committed while awaiting trails or for punishment.

Social welfare service according to Chorodhry (1979) are those services designed for the weaker and vulnerable section of the community who due to some handicap, socio-economic, physical and mental disabilities are unable to make use of traditionally denied the use of those services. There are also those who are physically whole but are equally deprived for reasons e.g. there are religions practices that tend to confined women to an everlasting life of privacy Purdah.

The second definition is that offered by the United Nations Economic Council for Africa (UNECA) that body defined social welfare for the promotion of social well being through helping people to help themselves in meeting the needs in such areas as family and child health social adjustment, leisure of time, standard of living and socio-relationship. It may also be defined as a science provided by the state whose objective is the improvement of the welfare of the individual. It is no wonder than why it is necessary that such department be established in institution like prison. It has been the recognized right of societ5ies to punish offenders. Today, nearly the way most societies deal with persons who commit an offence is to confine them to persons. Some staying there for rest of their lives while a few may be sentenced t death depending on the nature of their offence. The prisoners at times wonder how they get to such situation bringing the past into memory and possibly locating their errors and mistakes. There are some prisoners that could become hardened offenders if they are left to the treatment of warden and they will not come about the outcome of any offence or act of theirs. If there is no section of the prison to advise these people on their present situation and thereafter discharge, their lives will be miserable and the society will be in further danger. The unfortunate condition or state of a prisoner in our community is said deplorable and that this situation could make people fed up about life and convinced in themselves that they cannot do better again in life. The society is at a distance from them and all former friends and relations desert them. By this, discharged prisoners become rejected in the societies. They are usually left with people who have suffered the same spell of life by accidental or by merit. The result of such reaction by the society to the criminal minded discharged prisoners is that they become hardened offenders, they are more fervent in their criminal ways and subsequently they become outcasts in the community. But with the efficient working of the social welfare services department of the prison, the life thinking and general horizon of these prisons could be improved and made better. Prison welfare services aim at enabling the prisoners to obtain adequate corrective training in the process of their imprisonment and to attain a satisfactory social and economic adjustment when discharged from prison.          

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 

The welfare of prisoners is linked up with many others social problems which are the roots cause of their imprisonment. Since the role of social welfare officer of the prison is to assist the prisoners make a satisfactory adjustment, reinforcement, rehabilitation and reintegration into community life when he is eventually discharged. Following the confinement of offenders as prisoners are a chain of related problem never thought of, nor dreamt of by the prisoners. They have complex problem, the totality of which makes things worse for them. For this reasons one sees the need to cool them down and reassure them your lawful cooperation. This will give them some hope of confidence and a feeling of belonging to the community in this regard, they could realize that, it is not too late to adjust and become once more a lawful abiding and legitimate member of the community to which they belong.